


I Didn't Want It To Be Like This

by khgirl153



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Search and Rescue, here comes more angst, time to save the hero
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-08 02:38:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5480144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khgirl153/pseuds/khgirl153
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was always the possibility that someone would find out. Marinette, Paris’s very own Ladybug, knew that it was a high chance. Eventually someone was going to put two and two together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There was always the possibility that someone would find out. Marinette, Paris’s very own Ladybug, knew that it was a high chance. Eventually someone was going to put two and two together. She was always missing during an attack and she always somehow wound up being a “victim”. Not only that, but when she was asked to write a personal report about notable people in recent history, she was the only one in her class to deviate from the norm.

Just when Marinette had put on the finishing touches, Chloe snatched her paper and sneered. “Chat Noir?!” She burst out laughing. “You chose that mangy alley cat over the marvelous Ladybug?! The TRUE hero of Paris?!”

If Chloe hadn’t been so wrapped up in her cruel sense of humor, she would have noticed that no one else laughed with her, especially the young man that she was vying for. It was true that a number of them had written about Ladybug, but no one looked down on Chat Noir. If anything, many of them looked ashamed that they couldn’t tell Chloe off since they didn’t write anything for him. Ladybug was just an automatic response.

“Give that back!” Marinette shouted, fighting to snatch her paper back.

But Chloe had quick reflexes that matched her cruelty as she held it away from her and proceeded to read it out loud in front of the whole class.

“’If it wasn’t for Chat Noir, there wouldn’t be a Ladybug. I know how clumsy and laughable I can be, but when I’m down, I remember that black hero. Chat Noir is either gifted or cursed with bad luck. But no matter how much his bad luck may come his way, Chat Noir never gives up and he continues to fight for another day. I am very fortunate…’” Chloe paused and wrinkled her eyebrows.

Marinette could actually feel her heart cracking and sinking as her strength was sapped, knowing that she couldn’t stop it anymore. She sunk to her knees and allowed fate to play its cruel, sick joke.

“’I am very fortunate to have that alley cat as my partner.” Chloe finished with a whisper. The paper fell out of her limp hands as the classroom went deathly silent.

In the blink of a second, Marinette snatched her paper (which was supposed to be PRIVATE), shoved it in her bag, and fought back tears as she fumbled with her items.  
But it was as if fate was saying that it wasn’t done with her yet. As soon as she had crammed in her last notebook, a tiny “Ouch!” came out of her back. A little red creature with a large black dot on her forehead flew out of Marinette’s bag and rubbed her head.

“Marinette! What’s going on?!” The little kwami, LADYBUG’S kwami, cried out with tears of pain. But the pain from her head was nothing when she looked around and saw the eyes on them. On her. Tikki turned to Marinette, the partner who trusted her after all this time, with heartbroken eyes. “M-Marinette… I-I’m sorry. I…I didn’t…”

“This loser is Ladybug?!” Chloe shrieked.

Shouts rang out in the large room. Outrage. Tears. Apologies. 

“Shut up!” Nathaniel, perhaps one of the shyest guys in the school, shouted with a red face.

“Mari! Why didn’t you tell me?!” Alya, with tears streaming down her face. “Didn’t you trust me?! Is it because of the Ladyblog?!”

“Don’t make this out to be about you!” Alix screamed.

So many voices swirled together. Anger, regret, betrayal. Everything hurt for Marinette. But perhaps what hurt the most was the dead silence of Adrien, the young man she has loved since the beginning. It was obvious to everyone how infatuated he was with Ladybug. But now that he’s seen the truth…

“Mari! Wait!” Tikki cried, desperate to catch up to her friend who had dashed out of the room, leaving everything, including her hurt friends and kitty behind.

If she had only known that Chat Noir was there, if only he had stood up earlier, this story would have ended differently.

***

That was all two hours ago. School had long ended for the day and the students had gone home. Except for three students. Alya, Nino, and Adrien (who carried Tikki in a hidden pocket adjacent to Plagg) had all run straight to Marinette’s apartment. They wanted to apologize. They wanted to understand. Every second after she had ran out of the classroom, regret ate at them and they wanted to make it right for Marinette no matter what it took.

But she never came home. Tom held a shaken Sabine in his arms and held her close as he looked at their daughter’s friends with fear in his eyes.

“She had texted us saying that she was staying over at your house.” He said towards Alya. “Something about a design that she wanted to go over with you. She even said that it was going to be a sleepover.”

Alya shook her head and raked her hands through her thick hair. “We have to call her! It’s getting late and it’s dangerous out there!” She bit her lip as tears leaked from her eyes.  
Nino was about to put a hand on her shoulder but hesitated. He didn’t know what to do, much less on how to comfort the girl that he likes.

Adrien just looked sick. The blood rushed from his face and he felt like he was going to throw up. How could he have been so blind? Ladybug was right there! She was with him the whole time! Was he so dumb that all someone had to do was slap a little mask on his or her face and he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference? Her hair color, her eyes, her laugh. How could he have missed it?

Everything went by in a blur. Tom, ushering a frantic Sabine to a nearby armchair, called the police and gave them as much information as she could about Marinette. When they came over, Alya and Nino did their best to fill in the holes. But Adrien could barely find the energy to lift his head.

“We’ll do everything we can.” Sabrina’s father said with a nod. “It hasn’t been too long since she disappeared, so there is a good chance that we’ll find her good and well.”

Lies. Everyone knew what kind of world this was. Adrien witnessed it first hand alongside his lady…his princess…

When the police left, Adrien clumped up to Marinette’s room and let the two kwamis out. Tikki’s eyes were bloodshot and haggard as she slowly glided over to Marinette’s bed and snuggled into her blankets, trying to capture her companion’s soothing, sweet scent. Plagg, hyper, sarcastic Plagg, was sullen and silent as he flew down next to her.

Adrien grimaced when he saw pictures of himself on her wall. At least he wasn’t stupid enough to not take the hint that this meant that she liked him. Or at least until she left.  
“I’m going to look for her.” Adrien turned to Plagg. “I have to make this right with Marinette. Her secret shouldn’t have been exposed like that and she doesn’t deserve this mess. Not after everything she had done for them. For us.”

Tikki nodded and wiped away her tears as Plagg scowled.

“Hold on lover boy.” Plagg zipped up to Adrien’s face with a frown. “Do you really think that everything will be cleaned up, hunky dory, if YOU go after her? What if she finds out YOUR secret? That Chat Noir was right in front of her and he didn’t stand up for her when Chloe practically tore her so called “idol” to shreds?” Plagg leaned back and crossed his arms. “Just let the police and her family take care of it. Stay in the background and say your apologizes to her later as Adrien. That girl doesn’t need to be humiliated further.”

Adrien growled and held back the urge to scream. He turned to Tikki, taking deep breaths to calm down.

“Can the akuma get to her? Can they make her turn into a monster?” He asked. “Will her earrings be able to protect her?”

Tikki dried her eyes and sat up in her spot. “Yes and no. As long as Marinette and I are fused, then she’s immune from the akuma’s influence. But…” She sniffed. “With the amount of negativity that she’s feeling, it’s possible that they may be attracted to her. But they might not try to get her unless she allows them in. Being a Miraculous user gives her a bit more of a defense than other people.”

“Then I’m not wasting any time.” Adrien said as he transformed into Chat Noir. “This time, I will make it right.”

“Take me with you!” Tikki shouted, zipping over to Chat Noir. “I might be able to track her as long as she’s wearing the earrings!” She buried herself in his hair when nodded with a grimace.

One leap out of a terrace later, the cat and the kwami began their search.

***

One day went by. Then two. Three. Six. No one could find their lost heroine or the baker’s daughter. Soon enough, it was obvious to everyone that the two were one and the same. Newspaper clippings and photographs were compared and the timing was right. Every available police force was expended and schools within the Parisian area were closed with the amount of volunteers who wanted to help. Even Gabriel Agreste sent out special notices and rewards for his protégé’s return.

Sabine and Tom worked hard during the day so they could protect their daughter’s, their little Ladybug’s, home. At night, Sabine would collapse from exhaustion and heartbroken as Tom lead the nightly searches. As they searched and prayed, they sang Marinette’s lullaby as if it would draw their darling back to their arms.

Little darling mine.

Don’t you cry.

The shadows will run and day will come.

Little darling mine.

Don’t you fret.

The monsters can’t harm you and love will win.

Little darling mine.

Don’t you fear.

Mummy and Daddy will always be here.

It also didn’t take long for everyone to put together that Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir. He didn’t go to photo-shoots or any of his extracurricular activities because he was so exhausted. He hardly slept, barely allowing himself at least an hour of sleep in between his searching. Yes, Chat Noir was more than active in the search. He scoured all over Paris and even went beyond the borders. He didn’t use his signature Cataclysm, so he was able to uphold his transformation.

Alya and Nino worked as an amateur cameraman and reporter. They would haunt every possible place that Marinette could have been and places where she didn’t normally go. They interviewed and hounded people for information. Chloe couldn’t hope to escape their clutches, especially since she was targeted as the root cause for this problem in the first place.

The mayor, in a fervent attempt to appease the people, since everyone was outraged at Chloe’s behavior, sent out of all his own resources to continue the search and strengthen the police’s searching capabilities along with offering Chat Noir whatever he wanted. But the cat only snarled and nearly clawed his eyes out when the mayor dared to try and placate him with a smile. This kitty cat had been given enough spoils in the world to know that nothing would be able to help him except knowing that his princess was okay.

There was one thing that buzzed in Chat’s mind though. Why wasn’t Tikki able to sense Marinette? If she was still wearing the earrings, she should be able to find her.

His answer was given to him later on the seventh night of Marinette’s disappearance. Tikki leapt out of his hair and dove into the Seine. Chat Noir quickly went after her, fighting back the feline instinct to shrink away from water. When they resurfaced, they found an earring. Her earring.

Tikki cried out and held it close to her tiny body, tears streaming down her face. Chat Noir cursed and clutched the kwami and the earring near his heart. That sick feeling came back. His princess was in danger. And it was all his fault. No matter what the news would say, it was still his fault.

When Chat Noir finally managed to calm himself down and call the police, there wasn’t anything they could go on. There were no signs of a struggle and there were no clues. Not even a body. To them, the earring only meant that Marinette had been within the area but the Seine had washed away whatever evidence they could have worked with.

Later that night on the Eiffel Tower, Tikki worked on extracting the last memories from the Miraculous. She fought back her tears and forced herself to speak.

“She was running away from the school. She had planned to throw both of her earrings away. Everything was becoming so painful for her and she wanted to stop being Ladybug. She wanted it to end.” Tikki gulped back more tears. “She was only able to throw one away. But when she did, something came after her.” She pulled back and looked up with Chat Noir with tired, sad eyes. “The memories of that earring end there. With only one earring, she can’t transform into Ladybug. Not only that, but now she is vulnerable to the akuma. That may have been what went after her.”

Chat Noir hisses and grits his teeth. His once handsome features were marred with exhaustion and anxiety. His bright green eyes were dull and he greatly resembled an alley cat. It was no longer a joke. He was no longer a joke.

“There where is she?!” He snarled, pacing back and forth on the giant structure. “If she had been turned into a monster, wouldn’t SOMEONE have noticed?! It’s been two weeks!”

“I know! I know!” Tikki shouted back as she covered her ears. “You’re not the only one who’s worried sick! You’re not the only one who loves her! I’m giving it everything I’ve got!”  
“But it’s not enough!” Chat snarled as Tikki shrieked, barely missing a swipe of his sharp claws.

Plagg immediately darted out of the ring and forced Adrien’s detransformation. “If you’re going to keep lashing out at people who are trying to help you, then you need to cool off the claws!” He shouted. 

Adrien yelled as his bloodshot eyes tried to focus on his kwami. It wasn’t easy since he was racked with exhaustion, heartache, and anger. If he weren’t under his ring’s (and Plagg’s) protection, he would have been a choice victim for the akuma.

“Just sleep.” Plagg said softly, trying to regain his composure and calm his partner. “You’re not going to be of any help to that girl in this state. If she really has been taken by someone related to the akuma, then you are her only hope.”

Tikki nods and glides over to Plagg’s side. “He’s right. If you want to help Marinette, then you need to go after her with a clear mind and full strength.” Her stomach grumbles and she winces. “We’ve barely eaten and the sleep we’ve been getting is hardly enough. If we don’t take care of ourselves, how are we going to be able to save her?”

Adrien slumped down and felt the cool metal of the Eiffel Tower seep through his thin clothes, which he hasn’t changed out of since THAT day. They were right. He was in such as poor state that he couldn’t think straight. But who could blame him? Adrien didn’t stand up and tell Chloe to back off. He could have snatched that paper away. A paper that showed she, LADYBUG, his own partner and love, saw him as a hero. That was worth more to him that all the riches of the world. He would have given up the world if it meant that he could right his wrongs.

He was even so blind that he hadn’t noticed that his father was spending more time at home and was sending out campaign ads all over Europe in an effort to help with the search. Natalie had even tried to lighten his schedule so that he would be able to find time between his modeling jobs and helping the search. And he completely blew her off and ditched the schedule entirely. Even the entire staff seemed to try to brighten his day with his favorite foods and adding color to the monochrome mansion.

Maybe…he should start trying to fix things at home and take care of himself. At least long enough until he found the strength to find Marinette.

Adrien held up his ring finger with a weak, shaky hand towards Plagg, who looked back at him with a sad smile.

“Let’s…” Adrien hiccupped as hot tears streamed down his dirty face. “Let’s go home.”

The Paris skyline was filled with stars that night, giving feeble light for the people searching for their heroine. Chat Noir’s tears shown like the stars as he flew towards home, his heart tearing bit by bit with each step that he felt took him further away from his lady. His princess. His Marinette.


	2. Chapter 2

“They’re fighting so hard for you.” Hawk Moth, a gleeful smirk on his face, laughed quietly as he strode towards his sleeping victim. He knelt down beside her bed and stroked her lukewarm cheek with his knuckles. “If only you knew.”

He glanced at her ears and sighed.

“It’s truly a pity that you threw that earring away. But at least you still have the other one.” He stood back up and straightened out her thick blanket. “When you wake up, you will live a new life. New friends. New parents. New dreams.” 

A black butterfly perched itself on her forehead like a gentle kiss. Marinette grunted quietly and mumbled incoherently as she squirmed. She looked like she was a little child trying to fight off a nightmare.

“Don’t worry little coccinelle.” Hawk Moth whispered as if he was trying to soothe her from hidden monsters in the dark. “It will all be over soon. This will be a far off memory. You’ll never be hurt by them ever again.”

The butterfly flew over to land on top of Marinette’s chest over her racing heart, the part of her that was Ladybug warning her of the upcoming danger. But within three steady heartbeats, the akuma became one with her heart. Unseen, but present. Unheard, but whispering. Ready to poison. Ready to hurt.

***

They had no choice but to reopen the schools. By all means, the search hasn’t been called off, but life in Paris couldn’t be called off either. Tom and Sabine still worked to the bone during the day and combed the streets at night for their beloved daughter. Nino and Alya still dug around for any scraps of information that they could find for the Ladyblog. And Adrien, albeit reluctantly, returned to his modeling work. It wasn’t easy, considering how he still had bags under his eyes from the late night searching and how his muscles screamed in protest. But now that the cat’s out of the bag, the photographers were actually a little understanding and just piled on the makeup and relaxed the poses.

While he was at school, Adrien was painfully aware of the empty seat right behind me. Right before class started, he would sit in HER spot for a few minutes quietly. He would think how ironic it was that the one he was chasing had been right behind him. Chat Noir was so laser focused on his lady that he didn’t notice the princess behind the mask.

Adrien was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped when a hand patted his tense shoulders. Nino, with a sad, tired smile, looked like he hadn’t slept that well for the part few day. Adrien noticed how he also had bags under his eyes along with Alya as she took her spot. They must have spent all night trying to find clues.

Adrien didn’t even bother to smile as he reluctantly got up from hi-, no, HER spot, and went to his own. He opened his bag, barely glanced at the two kwamis huddled together, and grabbed his notebook, flipping it open to a makeshift map of Paris. While the teacher droned on about their lesson, Adrien made an X around the district he patrolled last night. No clues there either. Again.

He tried to ignore it. Really he did. He even tried to enjoy the physics lesson. It was his favorite subject, so why shouldn’t he? Could anyone blame him for enjoying himself for one second? Even though he was blaming himself? And an empty seat was an empty seat. It wasn’t like having an empty seat behind him was going to ruin him. Right?  
But when the professor took the roll call, it was like a countdown had begun.

“Alix?”

“Here.”

Her nervous smile.

“Nathaniel?”

“Here.”

Her shining blue eyes.

“Ivan?”

“Here.”

The way she soared through the air with grace.

“Mylene?”

“Here.”

Her witty sarcasm.

“Juleka.”

“Here.”

Her sweet scent from her bakery.

“Mari-“

CRASH!

The professor had realized her mistake too late. The class went deathly silent when Adrien bolted out of his chair, sending it to the ground. He growled quietly and gathered his things.

“Adrien?” Nino whispered, leaning forward to try and make eye contact with his best friend. But he made no move to stop him and allowed him to stomp out of the classroom, notebook in hand, already analyzing his next search route for the 5th that day.

“Adrien!” A tapping sound of running feet came from behind him and he turned to look at Chloe’s big blue eyes (the wrong blue eyes) and tentative smile. “I was wondering if you would like to-“

“Forget it.” Adrien snapped, flipping his notebook shut and shoving it in his bag, narrowly missing the kwamis. “I’m busy.”

“B-But wait!” Chloe stepped back flustered and tried to reach out to Adrien as he turned around to walk away. Her face turned to pure shock and hurt when Adrien grabbed her wrist with cold eyes. He wasn’t holding her tightly and his grip didn’t hurt. But his eyes were enough to break her heart.

“You’ve done enough damage.” Adrien whispered, fighting to keep his body from shaking and tears spilling down. “All you’ve ever done is hurt people. You never think about how your actions affect others. And you know how I know?” His heart hammered as he continued. “Because I’m that “mangy alley cat” who fought alongside Ladybug against those monsters who threatened to hurt Paris. And I, we, knew them.” Adrien voice turned to a snarl as he dropped Chloe’s wrist. “And you were responsible for at least half of them!”

Chloe’s eyes were filled with tears and her lips quivered. She looked down and pulled out a folded up piece of paper that he hadn’t noticed earlier, handing it to Adrien.

“T-This is her essay. If you want it.” Chloe mumbled. “I-I had thought about throwing it aw-“

Adrien snatched it out of her hands and stared at it like it was expensive silk. Carefully, as if he was handling something delicate, he opened the paper. As soon as he saw HER handwriting, the tears finally came out and his knees buckled. Chloe was quick to try and catch him, but he had already ran out of the school and towards his limo.

His driver, a scary looking man, glanced at his young client through his rearview mirror. Even though he may not have looked like it, but the driver cared for the boy. His own heart broke for the red eyed lad, watching him clutch a piece of paper close to his heart like it was his only thread of sanity even though it seemed to poison him. He grimaced when he imaged the pain that Adrien was going through. But, in accordance to his contract with Monsieur Agreste, he couldn’t stop and comfort him. All he could do was phone Natalie, quietly cancel Adrien’s schedule, and take the long way home while avoiding any bumps or potholes.

If the scary looking driver could possibly bring any comfort to his young master, then hopefully this would help him. Even just a little.

***

There were still no signs of akumas. There were still no signs of her. Adrien, transformed once again as Chat Noir, continued his search. He hounded the Ladyblog and newspapers for even the slightest clues. He searched and researched the districts and haunted the Seine, her last known location. Tikki and Plagg made double sure to remind him to at least take snacks with him and a bottle of water if he was going to continue his search at night.

“Tikki? What’s going on? Where are the akumas?” Chat Noir asked the little red kwami. They were currently resting on one the building next to Tom and Sabine’ bakery, watching Tom hug his wife before he led the crowd of volunteers as Sabine locked up. Chat’s heart twisted as he watched Sabine open the door of her daughter’s bedroom and clutch the handmade blanket that her daughter must have made. As Sabine wept and held the blanket close to her heart, Chat looked down and barely caught the whispered lullaby. HER lullaby.

Little darling mine.

Don’t you cry.

The shadows will run and day will come.

Little darling mine.

Don’t you fret.

The monsters can’t harm you and love will win.

Little darling mine.

Don’t you fear.

Mummy and Daddy will always be here.

Chat Noir sniffed and wiped away the tears that trailed down his face. Tikki didn’t even bother with her own.

“It’s always been like this.” Tikki began with a steady voice despite her shaken state. “If there’s one thing that’s been consistent with the akumas, for as long as I remember, they’ve only come out on at a time. Remember your battles? And how there was always only one enemy to fight?” When Chat Noir made a barely perceptible nod, she continued. “That appears to be the limit for the akuma. They can only come out one at a time until they’ve been purified or driven away.” Tikki shrugged. “Honestly, if they came out in groups and in different parts of the world at the same time, we would need more than just two Miraculous holders.”

“Are there more? Miraculous holders?” Chat Noir asked, grateful for the change of topic. It sort of felt like they were getting somewhere. “If there are then that means that we could all get together and work towards stopping the akuma once and for all.”

Tikki almost giggled. “That was a missed op-purr-tunity for a pun. Once and “fur” all, maybe?”

That made him crack a smile. Maybe Tikki was the magic behind her sassiness? Or was she already like that? Heaven knows that if, no, WHEN they find her, Chat knows that he would spend the rest of his life finding out.

“Anyway.” Tikki continued with a smile still on her face. “I’m not sure that there are, but it there were, I know that they’d be very helpful. However, Plagg and I don’t know how to contact them. But do know that there are multiple Miraculous stones so it’s highly possible. Which brings us back to the akuma. We suspect that the akuma come from someone with a Miraculous and that they are limited to only sending out one at a time.”

Chat Noir scrunched his eyebrows, taking in all of this information. “Like how we can only use our Miraculous powers once and then we have to run off before someone sees us turn back after using them? And the purifying ability?”

Tikki nodded. “Precisely. You each have a special gift that can help others and you must take care not to misuse them. That was the idea behind the creation of the Miraculous in the first place. If there’s not an akuma out right now, either that person isn’t doing well or their planning something. One way or another, something’s going on.”

“Give him the history lecture later.” Plagg’s voice rang out from the ring. “We’re not gaining anything from this patrol tonight and I’m getting hungry. We can talk some more when we get home. And before you argue, you did promise to head for home by midnight AT THE LATEST.”

Tikki rolled her eyes as Chat Noir scowled at his ring. “Yeah, yeah. I hear you.” He reluctantly stood up, stretched out his sore muscles and aching bones. “But don’t complain if I give you low grade cheese. I was really getting into this history thing.” Plagg let out a high pitched whine as they set out for home, unaware of a pair of cerulean eyes watching them, holding the handmade blanket close to her heart.

Sabine watched through her daughter’s open window as her partner raced back home. It has already been a month and she still didn’t close the window. Forget about cold winds or birds flying in. If an open window meant an open opportunity for her daughter to know that she was loved and that her family was waiting for her with open arms, then it was fine. Sabine will stay by this window as long as it takes, waiting to envelope her little one with an open heart.

As the night drew on, a little black ladybug with tiny red spots followed the duo home while another one crept towards the window. A sweet melody, a song that strangely sounded like her daughter’s lullaby in reverse, lulled her to a fitful sleep. Slowly, quietly, another black ladybug flew inside the room and closed the window with barely a click as the latch fell into place.

A lone female figure, the size of an adolescent school girl, hummed the reversed lullaby as her ladybugs followed the citizens of Paris, one lone black earring glimmering in the full moon’s glow. If the girl had the ability to, she would have laughed at the sheer uselessness of any of their rescue efforts. If the girl also had the ability to remember who she really was, her heart would have broken for them as well.

Little lonely waif.

Tears cascade down your face.

The shadows shout with glee as night calls them to play.

Little lonely waif.

Your worries have only begun.

The monsters will come and remind you of the dusk.

Little lonely waif.

Your fear has only begun.

No one is coming to save you, so you better get ready to run.


	3. Chapter 3

“According to the local environmental institute, the vast appearance of the harmonia axyridis spectabilis, otherwise known as the black variant of the harlequin ladybugs, is an unusual and unprecedented occurrence.” The female reporter stated as she absently swatted one of the pests away from her primly pressed vest. “This insects are typically found more often in the United States or Canadian region and they don’t tend to travel together in packs. But today in Paris, it looks like these critters haven’t gotten the uptake.”

The news feed shifted to feature the different parts of Paris. In each take, black ladybugs with five red spots on their backs flew idly in the light blue sky. Some of them perched themselves on buildings like they were birds and others almost seemed to make a game of flying in front of people’s faces, making them stumble and fall in the most comical ways.

“Some speculate whether or not this is due to climate change or if this species habitat is being threatened.” The reporter continued as images of an invaded Paris swept across the screen. “But some others believe that this is related to the missing young heroine, Ladybug, otherwise now known as Marinette Dupain-Cheng, who has been missing for the past two months.” 

A picture of the half-Chinese/half-French baker’s daughter filled the screen alongside her black spotted alter ego, flashing a charming, confident smile and fiery blue eyes. “Her father, the local baker named Tom Dupain-Cheng, has led a number of search parties for his missing daughter while his wife, Sabine, remained at home to make sure that Marinette would return to a safe and loving place. However, with the lack of new evidence on the young teen’s whereabouts or her wellbeing, along with the strange appearance of these bugs impeding their progress, volunteers are dropping at an alarming rate and there is little that the police force can do without any further leads. Chat Noir, also known as the world famous fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste’s, only son, Adrien Agreste, was not available for comment. But there is no doubt that this cat was not going to give up the hunt, harlequin ladybugs or not.”

***

Indeed he wasn’t. Even as the search parties began to disband and the police’s hands were tied, Chat Noir wasn’t giving up on finding his lady. If anything, the appearance of these strange ladybugs only spurred him on. What are the likely odds that black ladybugs with exactly five red dots on their backs would suddenly migrate to Paris in heaping packs at the same time? Especially considering that typical ladybugs have varying numbers of spots on their backs. These were all carbon copies of each other.

“This isn’t good.” Tikki muttered as she perched herself on Chat Noir’s shoulder as they stood on top of Notre Dame, looking over the invaded city. “I’ve never seen anything like this. And Plagg and I have been around for thousands of years.”

Chat Noir’s eyes narrowed. This was crazy. What could possibly be attracting this many bugs? Were they connected to the miraculous? The akuma? Marinette? The sheer fact that Plagg and Tikki never came across something like this was enough to make his skin crawl. His mind was so preoccupied that Chat nearly leaped off the building when he heard a loud blast from his cell phone. Nino. The only guy in Paris who wanted the “Jaws” theme song as his personal ringtone. Chat scowled, embarrassed at himself, and answered it, bringing it up to his ear.

“What’s up?” He asked, still trying to calm down his racing heart.

“Dude. You’re not going to believe this.” Nino began, sounding like he had run a triathlon. “Alya had gotten a call from Mrs. Dupain-Cheng during lunch, literally five minutes after you left. She said that it sounded like she was really upset about something, so Alya ran straight to the bakery.” A quiet gulp. “You’re sitting down, right?”

Chat raised an eyebrow and shifted to seat himself by one of the cathedral’s gargoyles. “I am now. What’s wrong?” He asked, anxiety beginning to creep along his spine. “Is Mrs. Dupain-Cheng okay?”

“No bro. She’s falling to pieces.” Nino was struggling to get the words out as he forced himself to continue. “Alya is too when she saw it. Marinette’s pictures are missing.”

Chat froze.

“And it’s not like just a couple here and there. EVERY picture is missing. Baby albums, family photos, even the newspapers featuring her disappearance.” Nino paused as a shrill voice came up in the background. “Alya just looked through her own pictures on her cell. Marinette’s missing in them too. It’s like she was never there. Like she never existed.” Another pause. “Even on the Ladyblog. Everything related to Marinette as herself and as Ladybug have disappeared too. In other words, the entire blog is empty.”

If Chat hadn’t been keeping a grip on the gargoyle next to him, he probably would have fallen from his high perch from how hard he was shaking. Tikki, who had been able to listen in on the conversation, struggling to keep herself from shrieking as tears began to appear.

“Mrs. Dupain-Cheng also said that Marinette’s window, the one that she’s always kept open, is locked and she can’t undo it. Mr. Dupain-Cheng tried everything he could to get it to open up. He even almost resorted to having the window removed entirely. But every time he tried to start taking it down, those black ladybugs would get in the way.” Nino continued and took a deep breath. “You okay dude?”

Chat Noir’s hand had grown numb from how hard he had been holding onto the gargoyle. Tikki patted his cheek, trying to get him to react. He nearly swatted her away before coming to his senses. He smiled grimly in an attempt to apologize before fighting to find his voice.

“Dude?” Nino asked again.

“I’ll meet you at school. Lunch ends in about 10 minutes, right?” Chat was already scrambling back to his feet and turned towards the general direction of the school. “I might be a little late but,”

He was interrupted when a flash of pink caught his eye. Chat froze again and looked around. When he turned towards the square, he saw it again. This time, he thought he also saw a familiar head of black hair with pig tails disappearing behind a flock of harlequin ladybugs.

“I’ll call you back.” Chat said quickly and hung up his phone, ignoring Tikki’s yelps as she buried herself into his hair. He leaped from one terrace to another, his heart feeling like it was going to fly out of his chest. His feet nearly lost purchase a couple times before he managed to right himself, keeping his eyes focused solely on his quarry.

Please be here. Please be here. Please be here! Chat’s mantra grew louder in his head as he landed with a thud on the concrete sidewalk, barely registering the sting in his hands and knees. He bolted across the square and he fought against the black legion that got in his path. Some tried to blind him and some even tried to make him trip as if they were actively trying to prevent him from finding his target. But each critter that tried to get in his way ended up being tossed aside or crushed.

Another flash of pink. Another leap in his step.

Please!Please!Please!

Chat made another furious swipe at the black insects as they made another attempt to push him away. This black cat wasn’t going to take no for an answer though. Not when hope was so close. Not when he thought he saw…

“Marinette!” Chat yelled when she came into view.

The black ladybugs suddenly stopped trying to get in his way. They formed a circle around the two of them as if they were spectators. But Chat wasn’t registering any of this. He only saw the back of the girl he had been searching so hard for. The girl that he had cried over, yelled for, and fell apart for even as he kept up the fight.

Chat couldn’t help it. Hot tears scalded his face as he came to a halt, barely believing what he was seeing. Was he dreaming? Was this a dream?

“Chat! Stop!” Tikki whispered from atop his head. “Something isn’t right!”

But all Chat could see was her. All he could hear was his escalating heartbeat. He took one tentative step forward. And then another. Then another.

“Chat! Chat!” Tikki kept trying to get his attention. “Something’s wrong! Snap out of it!” She pulled his hair this way and that. She even flew in front of his face and waved her tiny hands. But Chat only pushed her away as he kept walking towards the girl, who kept herself facing away from him.

Chat drank in every detail, assuring and reassuring of what he was seeing. Black hair that shimmered blue in the sun’s light. Her favorite outfit consisting of pink jeans and her usual navy blue jacket.

This was her. She was here. She’s okay.

“Marinette…” Chat whispered, hardly daring to believe it. He stopped a couple feet away from her, afraid to edge forward any closer. Afraid to shatter the illusion.

Her only response was to turn her face towards the sky. The light breeze caressed her hair, illuminating that she was a reality. She was there. Chat’s heart nearly stopped and his words failed him.

He was finally going to be able to apologize. For not standing up for her sooner. For not protecting her when she needed him the most. For not recognizing her behind the mask. For everything.

“Your mom and dad are worried sick about you.” Chat continued, a buzz of excitement and nervousness jumbling inside him. He ignored Tikki’s whispered warnings as he rambled on. “We looked everywhere for you. The police, search parties, and even the mayor helped us out.” He let out a laugh and scratched the back of his neck. “Although that was after the public made a big stink about him being a bad parent and all but hey.”

Silence. She didn’t turn around or even acknowledge what he said. It was like he was the invisible one this time.

Alarm bells should have been blaring in his head. This wasn’t like Marinette at all. She should have been reacting in some way to her worried partner with at least some kind of sassy comeback or sweet gesture. At the very mention of her parents, Marinette should be frantically trying to race home and let them know that she was okay.

But Chat let his guard down. He dared to take another step closer and reached out a hand towards her.

Then she turned around and Chat stopped in his tracks once again. She still had the same big blue eyes, but now they were devoid of life and spark. Her face was almost blank, as if she was wearing some kind of mask. It was like she was a puppet, with a pallid face and an almost vacant expression.

A marionette.

“I’m sorry. Who are you?” She asked with a frown and a tilt of her head, looking lost and confused. “And who’s Marinette?”

Her frown remained as a sweet humming sound came out from somewhere close by. The black ladybugs, silent the whole time, actually began to whistle and chime as if to accompany the lilting voice.

Chat’s eyes widen when he sees a little black form glide out from inside Marinette’s jacket, revealing the source of the humming. A little creature, who looked exactly like Tikki except with a black body and red spots, gave him an innocent smile. But from the way that Tikki shrieked, this creature was anything but innocent.

“Get away from her!” She screeched and zoomed towards the reversed Tikki.

“Tikki! No!” Chat screamed, snapping out of his trance. But it was too late.

The creature swept Tikki in a hug and together, they began to glow an incandescent grey. As fast as they had converged, they split apart and Tikki was sent flying away towards a nearby pond with a loud splash. When Marinette didn’t respond or move to help her beloved friend, that’s when Chat knew without a shred of doubt that something was horribly wrong. 

“Marinette! What’s going on?!” Chat asked, his heart wrenching and questions buzzing around in his mind. “Tikki’s hurt! We’ve got to help her before these things,” he gestured towards the black ladybugs, “Before they try to hurt her!”

Marinette’s frown only deepened as the whistling and chiming from the insects grew louder and the reverse Tikki tucked itself back into her jacket, continuing to hum.

“They won’t hurt anyone unless I tell them too.” Her glassy stare suddenly became sharp glares. “And my name isn’t Marinette. And my parents aren’t worried about me. They know where I am.”

Chat Noir’s head was swimming with even more confusion. Her parents know? She isn’t Marinette? How can that be? There was no possible way.

“In fact, I have to get going right now or else they really will be worried.” She said, wrinkling her nose. “Now stop following me you creep. Or I’ll call the police.”

He shook his head. A creep? Did…did she just call him a…?

“M-Marinette?” Chat whispered, barely containing his shaking. “I-I’m your friend… Right? You know that…”

She only growled and stomped her foot in indignation. The black ladybugs responded by halting their chiming and whistling and giving out a loud buzzing sound.

“My name is Leto! And stop talking to me as if you know me!” The ladybugs inched closer to him and buzzed louder. “Now go away!”

Chat Noir had no choice but to leap away from the girl he had been chasing. The harlequin bugs were swarming him and he had to find Tikki before she was targeted too. He weaved and fought against the dark waves, frantically scanning for a red dot.

But just as soon as the swarm had rushed in on him, they vanished. Chat turned around and felt his heart break just a little more. Marinette, or as she called herself, Leto, had vanished too.

He barely registered a wet and shivering Tikki nestling in his hair as he slumped towards the ground. He had been so close. He had found her, only for her to turn against him and disappear again.

“Chat.” Plagg whispered, fumbling to find the right thing to say. What could you say when your friend’s hopes and dreams were shattered in one fell swoop by the person you cared so deeply for? “We gotta get back to school. Nino and Alya are waiting for you.”

Chat didn’t say anything, but he managed to push himself back up before heading in the direction of his school.

This didn’t make sense. What happened to Marinette? What was going on? Where had she been? Chat had too many questions and barely any answers. But he had at least one thread of hope.

Marinette was alive. For now, that was all that mattered. She’s alive.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read this so far and had given this story kudos! Here's chapter 4!
> 
> By the way, couldn't help but add in so TikkixPlagg moments. Those guys are so cute~

“Dude! Where are you?!” Nino yelled into his cellphone after he managed to get a call through to his best friend after three previous attempts. “It’s a freaking storm of black ladybugs here and they’re blocking traffic and everything! Your driver can’t budge without those things blocking his view! They’re probably doing something to his engine!”

Chat Noir grimaced and halted on top of a building adjacent to the school. He didn’t need to look around to know that the problem was getting worse. It wasn’t even 10 minutes after the confrontation with Mari...Leto and if the black bugs hadn’t already taken Paris by storm by now, they were putting on a real show now.

As Nino had mentioned earlier, traffic has been brought to a screeching halt, people are taking refuge in their houses or random buildings, and even the news media can’t get a decent story in without the bugs swarming their cameras, messing up their equipment, or getting in their way in general.

“And get this!” Alya suddenly piped up. They must be using the speaker function on Nino’s phone. “Little red ladybugs are appearing too! There’s only a few of them and…well maybe it’s better if you see for yourself. Everyone will be waiting for you in the classroom. And hurry!”

Click!

And just like that, Chat Noir leapt off the building and bolted towards the school, fighting to not stop and take a good look at the little Dupain-Cheng bakery that was right next to it. He knew what he would find: A pink room filled with fashion designs crafted with love, an exhausted Sabine and Tom scouring around for any picture of their beloved daughter, and a cold kitchen without the young girl to brighten it with her presence.

“I’ll bring her home.” Chat Noir whispered as he made a final leap into the air before sailing through an open classroom window and detransforming back into Adrien. “I promise.”

With that promise held steadfast in his heart, Adrien tucked a tired Tikki and Plagg into his jacket, making a mental note not to leave his school bag behind the next time he went out.

When Adrien opened the empty classroom door, he was shocked. There wasn’t a single black ladybug in sight. The hallways were deserted, the lockers looked untouched, and the other classrooms with their doors opened were as empty as the one that Adrien sailed into.

All except Adrien’s homeroom where an anxious looking group waited for him: Alya, Nino, Alix, Jalil, Juleka, Rose, Nathanial, Mylene, Mylene’s father, Fred, Ivan, Theo, Chloe, Sabrina, Agent Roger, Xavier Ramier, Aurore Borell, Kim, Max, and Adrien’s own fence instructor, Armand D’argencourt.

Besides being citizens of Paris, they all had two things in common: They had all fallen victim to Hawkmoth’s akumas. And they all had a little red ladybug over their hearts.

Suddenly, Tikki zoomed out of Adrien’s jacket and flew over to each person, zipping from one ladybug to another.

“Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh!” Tikki squealed, her once tired eyes brightening up with renewed vigor. “This is amazing! Stupendous!”

Just a few seconds ago, everyone had been frozen, worried statues with deep frowns and stiff muscles. Now they were all just confused. Like a certain model and black kwami who stared at the little red kwami like she had lost her mind. Maybe she had snapped or something after seeing that marionette copy from earlier.

Thank goodness everyone had already seen Tikki earlier or else this would have been an even more stressful day than it needed to be.

Chloe’s shocked face turned into a scowl and she grabbed one of Tikki’s feet, bringing her close to her blazing eyes. She looked like she was going to screech in Tikki’s face, but a withering look from every face in the classroom made her clap her mouth shut and release the little kwami.

Alya was the first to break the awkward silence before giving the red kwami a little smile.

“What Chloe was GOING to say, and what everyone else was wondering, is what is going on?” Alya took a deep breath and gestured at the little ladybug on her chest. “Just a few minutes after we came back from lunch, a whole swarm of black ladybugs came through the school and chased everyone out. Then these red ladybugs appeared out of nowhere and stuck themselves onto us while ignoring the rest. Immediately after they clung onto us, the black ladybugs won’t come near us, but they managed to corral us all here.”

“According to what we could find out from each other,” Agent Roger chimed in. “The only thing that we all had in common was that we had caused trouble for Paris at one point or another.” He turned to look at Adrien and shrugged. “The rest of the police force couldn’t figure out if there was a pattern to the people found by you and Ladybug. Every person had clean records and they didn’t have much in common with each other besides being classmates, relatives, or general acquaintances. Not only that, but there was no clear motive or method. Just weirdness and no means to make an arrest, especially when the victims had the memories erased and Paris always got put back together again later on.”

Adrien chuckled uneasily and shrugged back.

“The akumas, the things that Ladybug and I fought against, were the things that made you guys do what you did.” He began, trying not to flinch when he said her superhero name. “They were sent by Hawkmoth, who tried to use your negative feelings against you.”

Plagg, who had finally managed to catch his breath, lazily flew out of Adrien’s jacket to float next to Tikki. He gave a smug smile and a wink at his longtime friend.

“I’ll take it from here My Lady.” He drawled, ignoring Adrien’s scowl and Tikki’s eye roll. “The thing that you guys all have there is a special little present from a certain girl that you all know, love, and owe your lives to.” Plagg glanced at Chloe with a small frown. “Well…ALMOST everyone loves her.”

Chloe returns his frown with a sharp glare but, under everyone else’s stares, she, for once, found it better to not retort as Plagg continued.

“Anyways, what you’ve got there is a mark of Ladybug’s special protection as a result of her purifying the akumas who attacked you.” He hugged Tikki close and gave her a little twirl. “An ingenious little novelty that our own little Tikki devised back in Greece with one of her chosen Ladybugs.” Plagg gave Tikki a quick kiss on her reddening cheek as he gave a proud grin. “Thanks to those two, anyone who fell victim to the akumas are immune to them. It’s like getting a shot from the doctor to fight away those pesky illnesses.”

Rose shuddered at the mention of the word “needles”. Juleka, her best friend, smiled softly before gently rubbing the shorter girl’s head. Rose smiled at her dark clothed friend in gratitude.

Alix grinned wide and punched a fist into one of her palms.

“Alright! This is sick! Now we have a chance against those insects!”

The small crowd was abuzz with renewed hope and excitement. Even Adrien, who had been bogged down with anxiety about Marinette’s whereabouts and Leto’s appearance, felt like things were finally taking a positive turn for the better. It had finally sunk in as he took in the misfit crew.

He wasn’t in this fight alone.

He turned to Tikki and Plagg, who was still holding his friend close. Although now Adrien was hesitant to call them “friends”. On top of making a mental note about his school bag, he’s going to ask his kwami about this detail.

But first things first. Once the crowd managed to settle themselves down, Adrien addressed the two kwamis with new energy.

“Okay you two. Tell us what we need to know. Especially about this Leto…thing and that weird Tikki copy.”

This time, it was Tikki who gave Plagg a peck on the cheek before zooming out of his arms, leaving him a little dazed and pouty at her departure.

“First of all Adrien,” She began with a steady tone. “What I was trying to mention earlier before you rushed out towards the Marinette look alike,” Adrien smiled sheepishly. “Was that something didn’t feel right about that clone. Not only that, but I’ve been feeling something very familiar when we were around those black ladybugs, but I couldn’t pinpoint what that feeling was since there were so many of them around. However,” Tikki gestured towards everyone’s red ladybug. “After seeing these little good luck charms, I realized that all of the black ladybugs are the very same creatures that we’ve been fighting since the beginning.”

Adrien frowned and breathed out one word.

“Akumas.”

Plagg nodded and pick up the explanation.

“Normally, those critters wouldn’t even think about leaving their master. But Tikki and I have a theory. We were talking about it after Adrien came back to school.” Plagg’s ears twitched. “We think that it’s because that now that Hawkmoth has Marinette under a unique spell with a particular akuma, he’s able to widen his influence and use all of the negative energy that she absorbed and use it as a catalyst for his own devices. Since the negative energy originally came from him, Hawkmoth could easily manipulate the negative energy that she absorbed while having plenty over as a reserve.”

The crowd nodded in understanding before Adrien spoke up.

“Okay, that explains the black ladybugs, but what about Marinette, her missing pictures, and Leto? Was that Marinette I saw or wasn’t it?”

Everyone stared at the two kwamis and held their breath. Tikki bit her bottom lip and looked like she was fighting back tears. It was Plagg who answered, putting a reassuring arm around Tikki’s shoulders.

“Leto was the name of Greece’s Ladybug’s, Elpis, and Chat Noir’s, Akakios, adversary. You could say that she was equal to your guy’s Hawkmoth. With each new Hawkmoth, they were able to use negative feelings to manipulate people to doing what they wanted. But Leto was special.”

Suddenly, a great rumbling from outside halted all conversation. Everyone ran to the windows and gave out a collective horrified gasp.

Black harlequin ladybugs were gathering outside like mini waves and made a ring around the school, sealing in the group from escaping. On their right, another group of ladybugs stormed towards Adrien’s house and crashed through the front door.

For once, Adrien wished from the bottom of his heart that his father hadn’t cancelled his meeting over in New York earlier that morning in favor of helping with the stalling campaign for Marinette’s return. He could picture the ladybugs storming through every inch of the mansion and creating chaos with every flutter of their tiny wings.

A few seconds later, the ladybugs burst out of Adrien’s bedroom window and flew back towards the school at a lone figure near the steps of the school.

To everyone’s surprise, they saw Marinette’s copy, Leto, gazing up at them with empty eyes and a blank stare, her one black earring standing out on her pale ears.

To Adrien’s horror, he saw the ladybugs swarm Leto’s petite form and he almost transformed right there to stop them.

But when the ladybugs cleared away, there was nothing that could be done. In their midst, Leto had transformed into Ladybug’s copy with a black spandex suit and mask with red spots. She was wearing the missing earring that Adrien had kept hidden in his room.

A sweet humming sound began to ring out as Leto parted her lips and proceeded to sing the warped version of a previously sweet lullaby.

Little lonely waif.

Tears cascade down your face.

The shadows shout with glee as night calls them to play.

Little lonely waif.

Your worries have only begun.

The monsters will come and remind you of the dusk.

Little lonely waif.

Your fear has only begun.

No one is coming to save you, so you better get ready to run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, there are meanings behind the names Leto, Elpis, and Akakios. If you're curious, why not go ahead and find out what they are? :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we have a background of who Leto is and how she played an influence in this story.
> 
> This idea was buzzing inside my head today and I couldn't resist making another chapter! ^^ Enjoy!
> 
> I estimate that this story will have about two more chapters left. Thanks for everyone who has read this!

Leto, using Marinette’s puppet-like body, could hear the shrieking voices of the akuma-immune citizens from her position on the school stair steps. Even though Leto’s host couldn’t react due to her immense, ancient influence, Leto herself couldn’t help but marvel at the power that coursed through her veins which had evaded her for thousands of years.

Ever since she had been defeated at the hands of a heartbroken Akakios, after she had slain his beloved fiancée and partner, Elpis, Leto had been too stubborn to allow Death to rip her away from her dearest wish: The power of the Θαυματουργή and the ability to combine her original powers alongside her new ones.

Taking host of one of her akuma, which would change form for her convenience depending on what part of the world she was in, Leto would visit one human with the potential to be a powerful host. She would grant them their wish for ultimate power and in return, they would grant her access to the Θαυματουργή.

But, as if fate held itself ready for her every step, the guardians of good and bad luck would always crush her efforts and defeat every adversary she had deemed worthy of her personal influence.

It was enough to make Leto want to do something drastic. Something she hadn’t dared to do ever since her late husband, Philo, had been killed by Akakios, who had been protecting Ancient Greece against Roman invaders alongside Elpis: Erase all memories until life itself became meaningless like it had become after her precious love died.

But just as soon as the thought lanced through her heart, a whisper followed it.

“Do you want revenge?”

A moment later, black cicadas came and every last Roman soldier had been vanquished and a tearful, broken Akakios was holding a limp Elpis in his shaking, blood stained arms.

It was an eye for an eye after all. One love for another.

But Leto wasn’t satisfied. Before that fateful day, she and her husband had long admired the very heroes who had protected their city ever since the chosen ones were children. For nearly 10 years, they had helped Greece prosper and flourish while keeping invaders from harming the people they had sworn to protect.

Philo, her sweet, sweet Philo, an emerging sculptor, would smile at her like she was the sun and he would tell her that she was more radiant than their red and black heroine, who had served as one of the king’s servant girls. In return, Leto would often coo that her husband was more strong and brave than their black cat-like warrior, who was the king’s youngest son. She was so full of happy memories because of that man who never looked down on her even though she was cursed and had been abandoned at birth. With Philo, nothing else matted but creating more happy memories with him.

But it was like a cruel joke from fate.

Leto could manipulate the memories of those around her all she wanted, but she couldn’t erase her own. So, as the years went by and her attempts to gain the stones were thwarted like an insane curse, Leto was forced to watch as history repeated itself whether the black cat got away alive with their dead partner’s earrings, the ladybug with their cat’s ring, or they got to experience their happily ever after. She had almost lost hope.

Until that day when a heartbroken and shame faced Marinette, tears streaming down at a furious rate, sprinted out of her school.

Just a few minutes prior to witnessing the young girl’s departure, Leto had felt a shrill, almost ecstatic jolt course through her shadowy form, which had taken the same form as the butterflies that her current chosen, Hawkmoth, had procured for their purposes. 

She would know this feeling anywhere, even though it had occurred only a handful of times over her centuries of existence.

One of the luck wielders wills had been shattered.

Immediately, not giving Hawkmoth a single glance as he entered the dark chamber which housed the rest of the mindless insects he treasured, Leto flew off and took a look for herself. And what she found had made her excitement grow.

The girl, so wrapped up in her shame and grief, had let her guard down and didn’t register her presence. Leto couldn’t even sense the presence of the girl’s kwami, for this girl was surely the new red warrior, Ladybug as she’s called now.

That was no problem for Leto whatsoever. In fact, it looked like Ladybug’s luck was working in HER favor. Without that little kwami to protect her charge, all Leto had to do was wait.

Then the girl made a mistake that would set off a tragic series of events. She stopped by the Seine, harshly gripped one earring, and unattached it from her ear before throwing it into the rushing waters. Her final protection that could have kept Leto completely at bay was gone.

Before she had the chance to rip off the other earring, Leto’s form grew into a curtain of darkness and enveloped her form around the petite girl’s body, who immediately buckled under the overwhelming force that was Leto.

It Leto hadn’t acted when she did, then maybe her kwami and her companion would have come across her in time. But it looks like bad luck was against them.

When the ancient sorceress brought the unconscious girl back to Hawkmoth’s layer, Leto could hardly control her excitement. Finally! After all this time! She was finally going to have her wish granted!

However, Hawkmoth, in his ignorance, was less impressed when he noticed a little detail.

“While it was a fine endeavor for you to bring Ladybug to us, there is a slight problem my Liege.” Hawkmoth hissed sarcastically as he brought up his cane and pressed the end of it at Marinette’s left ear, while Leto settled herself back into her form of a black butterfly, rolling her eyes when Hawkmoth’s voice raised with every word. “This girl is missing one of the Miraculous earrings! They are useless alone! And why didn’t you capture her kwami will you were at it?! The Miraculous won’t work unless they have energy from them!”

Leto scoffed and flew over to her chosen, landing lightly on top of his masked head. Immediately, Hawkmoth was kneeling down on the ground, clutching his head as a migraine raged through his head, growling in pain.

“Careful Hawky.” Leto cooed as she stared at the girl. “Need I remind you of a few minor details?” With a small flick of her wings, she flew off of Hawkmoth’s head towards Marinette’s bare ear, and allowed him to take a few deep breaths in order to steady his composure. “I can’t get near the Miraculous users while their kwamis are around. And just wearing the Miraculous charms alone is enough to keep me at bay. Fu made sure that the items would hold enough power to give the chosen wielders SOME level of protection against their enemies. The only reason why I can get near you is because I gave you your power and I can take it away just as easily. Which is what I am tempted to do at any time considering how much you have already failed me many times before.”

Hawkmoth shook his head one last time before standing up and glaring at the butterfly.

“Fine. I will concede on that detail.” Hawkmoth straightened his own Miraculous, which Leto herself had used in the past, and cleared his throat. “What of Chat Noir though? I have no doubt that he won’t rest when he realizes that the missing girl that the police will surely be looking for at any minutes and his missing partner are one and the same. With his destructive powers, who knows what kind of damage he will bring to Paris? There is no point in spreading my,” Leto glowered, and Hawkmoth immediately corrected himself with a cleared throat. “OUR influence here if there is no Paris to rule over.”

Leto smirked and gave a butterfly kiss to Marinette’s cold cheek, all warmth taken from her after she had been wrapped in Leto’s chilling embrace.

“Just watch. You’ll see.”

And see they did. Though they hadn’t tried to hunt for any likely victims for the akuma, since Leto insisted that it wasn’t necessary, Paris, was falling to pieces searching for the girl, who had quickly realized that they had also lost their heroine due to the influence of a Chloe Bourgeois, a classmate of Marinette’s that Hawkmoth and Leto had grown all too familiar with due to her own negative influences.

What they were really looking for was Chat Noir. And what they saw entertained them to say the least.

“They’re fighting so hard for you.” Hawk Moth, a gleeful smirk on his face, laughed quietly as he strode towards his sleeping victim. He knelt down beside her bed and stroked her lukewarm cheek with his knuckles. “If only you knew.”

He glanced at her ears and sighed.

“It’s truly a pity that you threw that earring away. But at least you still have the other one.” He stood back up and straightened out her thick blanket. “When you wake up, you will live a new life. New friends. New parents. New dreams.” 

Leto chuckled with a sense of glee as she perched herself on Marinette’s forehead like a gentle kiss. The girl grunted quietly and mumbled incoherently as she squirmed. She looked like she was a little child trying to fight off a nightmare.

“Don’t worry little coccinelle.” Hawk Moth whispered as if he was trying to soothe her from hidden monsters in the dark. “It will all be over soon. This will be a far off memory. You’ll never be hurt by them ever again.”

Leto flew over to land on top of Marinette’s chest over her racing heart, the part of her that was Ladybug warning her of the upcoming danger, a danger that had existed for thousands of years and was reveling in this moment. Within three steady heartbeats, the akuma-shaped evil became one with her heart. Unseen, but present. Unheard, but whispering. Ready to poison. Ready to hurt.

Slowly, Leto set to work on unraveling the girl’s memories. First, she began erasing her more current memories. The humiliating revelation of her identity, the shame and scorn she felt towards the classmates and friends she had sworn to protect only for them to betray her with disbelief and disgust, and the heartbreak when the young man she loved looked at her like she was a foreign object and didn’t stand up to help her.

She had been there for them when they needed her. And they had done nothing to help her.

If only she knew.

Then Leto began to work through layers. At first it was surface material. Cheerful, often hurried mornings before school, hanging out with her friends, spending time with her family, late night patrols after quickly finishing her homework. Then Leto began to peel away at deeper, more precious memories. Laughing and bonding with her friends, finishing her first crocheted red quilt before she entered preschool, falling in love with her partner while being tormented with confusion and pain due to her current love for the boy in her class, holding her parents close as they protected their little girl from a powerful thunderstorm when she was 3 years old, and so much more.

Soon enough, the girl was empty. No passions. No dreams. No love. Nothing.

A perfect host for Leto to manipulate.

The more memories that Leto had thrown away, the more room she had to take their place. It had taken a matter of two months for Leto to manipulate 15 years of memories and Hawkmoth had made sure that his akumas did their job in order to tend to Marinette’s upkeep while he continued on with his life outside of being Hawkmoth.

But now it was time. When everything was ready, Leto emerged from Marinette’s heart and took on a new form which she could use to finally combat Ladybug’s kwami, an inverse version of Tikki.

All that she needed to do now was test her influence and how well she was actually able to combat the kwami. When she planted false memories of a false home and false memories in her host and placed her in the square that day in plain view for a certain cat to spot her, Leto had her answer.

Now, finally, after sending her newly shaped pawns towards the Agreste mansion where she knew that boy hid his Ladybug’s other earring in a hollowed out book in his personal library due to her spies and getting rid of the annoyance that was the boy’s father and his secretary by barricading them away in his office, Leto’s plan was complete.

All that was left was the cat’s Miraculous. And Leto had the perfect hostages: The entirety of Paris’s citizens, who she could akumatize easily due to the anxiety swirling in all of their hearts, the group of people within the school who were now immune to her influence, and the girl he loves.


	6. Chapter 6

Normally, when people think about ladybugs, they would think that they were cute and harmless. No one would think that they would cause chaos by spreading panic across a romantic city like Paris, which upheld the ladybugs as a symbol for good luck. After all, how could something so small cause so much damage? It’s not like they bite humans and carry diseases like mosquitos do nor do they carry any venom that could harm a human like certain spiders and ants do.

But when the harlequin akumas came to play, no one could see an innocent ladybug in sight. Except for the group of people trapped within a certain school that had them pinned over their hearts as a “gift” from a past Ladybug like glowing little brooches.

“Everyone, you need to listen. Right now.” Tikki spoke with a calm voice, which highly contrasts against the chaos that the new Harlequin Ladybug was causing outside.

With terror still screaming in Adrien’s mind, his eyes were glued on Harlequin, Leto’s completed puppet.

“Marinette…” Adrien whispered as a sob tore through his throat and hot tears blurred his vision. “Marinette… Marinette…”

Countless akumas were invading people’s homes, causing terrors that normal ladybugs shouldn’t be causing to humans. They swarmed the streets so that not one person could go out without stepping on one of them, and if they did try to attempt to leave the buildings that they crowded around, the ladybugs made their presence known.

“Adrien.” Plagg gently pulled a strand of Adrien’s hair and attempted to tug his face away from the window. “Look away. That’s not Marinette. Not right now.”

But Adrien shooed Plagg away with a trembling hand and stayed glued to the window.

How could he possibly look away? And how could that not be Marinette? The blue eyes, jet black hair…everything…

“Adrien.” Nino stepped up to his right side and he reached over in front of Adrien, gripping his shoulders with a firm grasp and literally pushed the shaking, crying hero away from the window.

“No! Stop!” Adrien begged, struggling to get out of Nino’s grasp and trying to crane his neck so that he could look out the window. But when the group that Harlequin’s ladybugs had corralled into the school moved to stand between his view of the broken Ladybug, Adrien grew desperate. “Please! Let me see her! Let me see her!”

“Adrien!” Nino shouted, trying to shake his friend to his senses. “You’ve got to calm down! This isn’t helping,”

“MARINETTE!” Adrien screamed, finally reaching his breaking point when the harlequin akumas rushed around the school building, creating a black dome with red speckles.

If they weren’t trapped before, they really were now.

Suddenly, little pitter patters of tiny feet could be heard inside the ventilation system. The group, their only light given to them via their ladybugs, stood cold stone still.

The akumas were inside the building. Tiny black ladybugs started trickling out of air vents and cracks between the doors and crevices. From what the group could see from outside their classroom windows, a lone female figure was walking down the hall amongst the creatures and was heading towards them.

Harlequin, Leto’s puppet. Paris’s Ladybug. Chat’s…Adrien’s Marinette.

For a moment, she paused in front of one of the classroom’s windows, staring straight in front of her like a delicate little doll. Her inversed earrings, no doubt holding Leto’s Tikki-esque form, gave a dull glimmer in the available light. Slowly, as if pulled by invisible strings, Harlequin turned her empty gaze towards the classroom, her eyes settling on Adrien.

Nobody moved. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the swarm or Harlequin herself to attack them. They huddled close together, some of them holding each other. Ivan held a trembling Mylene close and gently wiped her tears away as he stroked her colorful hair, keeping a defiant glare at the corrupted hero. Juleka and Rose held hands with each other and reached out their free hands towards the others. Gradually, everyone was holding hands with each other, seeking comfort and strength within their small group. Even Chloe and Sabrina were able to find a place as they held hands, bracing themselves for what they felt was to come. The only ones not holding hands were Alya, who laid her shaking hands on Nino’s tense shoulders, who kept his grip on a cold Adrien, who felt two little bodies curl up inside his outer shirt.

They stared at Harlequin. Harlequin stared back.

Her face, once a glowing creamy color, was ashen and almost lifeless. Calling her a little china doll in this situation would accurately describe her now. Pale lips mouthed a single name, and it didn’t take anyone too long to figure out whose it was.

“Chat Noir.”

She was waiting for him to come to her. Outside, the people of Paris were thrown into chaos, screaming and shouting in their fear and confusion. They were prime targets for the akumas to attach to. And just because the group inside the school was immune to becoming victims again, that didn’t mean that the akumas couldn’t do damage.

A faint, sickening odor began creeping inside the classroom. The group began to gag and cough at the stench.

“Ladybug poison.” Tikki whispered, her large eyes filled with fear. “It must be in the ventilation system.” She coughed and rubbed her eyes. “She’s trying to…” Tikki coughed again as Plagg stroked her cheek with a tiny paw for comfort, which she returned with a weak smile.

“Is she trying to kill us?!” Chloe screamed, tightening her grip on Sabrina and Kim’s hands, making them both wince. “What are we supposed to do?! We can’t just stand,” She let out a series of coughs, which everyone proceeded to do as the humming grew louder and their anxiety mounted alongside it.

“We’ve got to get outside!” Screamed Max. “If we don’t, this thing is going to take us down!”

“But how?!” Aurore yelled back, coughing. “If we go out the door, that anti-Ladybug is going to get us and we can’t jump out the window! We’re on the second floor!”

The group continued to hack and cough, but they refused to release their hold on each other. They refused to back down from this fight.

Plagg held a weak Tikki close. She looked like she was on the verge of collapse. Apparently this toxin was powerful against a ladybug kwami. Strangely enough though, the ladybugs on everyone’s chest continued to uphold a steady glow. Were they immune to it?

“Adrien…” Tikki whispered, holding tightly onto a worried Plagg.

Adrien, not able to wrench his eyes away from Harlequin, could barely hear the little kwami over the storm inside himself and the humming outside of the akumas along with the barrage of coughs.

“The girl out there… That’s Marinette…but it isn’t…” She coughed. “Leto…was able to wipe her memories away… That’s her…” A cough. “Her own unique…ability…”  
Plagg stroked Tikki’s head and continued for her.

“Long story short,” Plagg began, fighting to stay strong for his little lady. “Leto’s controlling Marinette through the earrings now. You’ve got to help her.”

“How?” Adrien whispered, still staring at Harlequin’s (Marinette’s) dull blue eyes. She’s still in there. She has to be. “I’ll do anything.”

Plagg stared at Tikki with a question in his bright green eyes. She looked back at him, gave a tiny smile, and nodded before kissing his cheek. Plagg nodded back with a grunt and a grimace as he held the weakening Tikki closer.

“First, you’ve got to transform and go after her. Tikki will stay here with the others for a second, she’ll tell them what to do, and catch up to us later.” Plagg said. “We didn’t use our special move earlier, so we don’t need to worry about replenishing any energy. We’ve got to go.”

It wasn’t too long ago that Adrien felt like he would have done anything to be by Marinette’s side again. When he saw her in the square, he really believed that he was going to set everything right again. He was going to apologize, promise to never let her fight alone again, and to prove his love for her no matter what side of her she showed and no matter what form he chose to show.

But how could he save her now? Ladybug was the one who could heal wounds and make things better. Chat Noir was the one that brought ruin and destruction to everything around him. Just like the day he did when he didn’t stand up for his friend and love like he should have.

“Adrien.” Plagg whispered, reading the thoughts that raced across Adrien’s tired, pain filled eyes. “There’s a reason why Ladybug needs Chat Noir. There’s a reason why you balance each other out. Now trust me when I say that you can help her. And ONLY you.”

“Adrien.” Armand D’argencourt’s voice, weak though it may have been, rung out to the young hero with calmness and peace. “Every king who has ever been truly great knows one thing: He never sits alone on his throne.” He pauses and coughs. “Every king needs his faithful and strong queen. And every king needs to trust in the powers of those he protects.”

The rest of the group, in spite of their coughs and crumbling stances, shouted out in agreement and encouragement. Tikki hugged Plagg one last time before fluttering over to Alya’s shoulder, burying herself into the girl’s thick hair in an attempt to block out any further invasion of the noxious fumes. Nino gripped Adrien’s shoulders once more and allowed one hand to drift on top of one of Alya’s.

“Don’t worry man.” Nino began, his eyes beginning to water. “Just go save her. We’ll be okay. I can feel it. Thanks to this little guy.” He added while stroking his ladybug with his free hand.

Turning back to Harlequin, who hadn’t shifted an inch in her stance or demeanor, Adrien felt sick to his stomach and his knees wobbled. But he couldn’t let himself fall. Not now. Not when Harlequin (“No. Marinette.” Adrien thought.) was right there. Not when he had a duty to fulfill.

Ladybug or no Ladybug, Chat Noir had a responsibility to protect Paris from the akuma. Adrien closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and straightened himself up, nodding at Nino’s words. He glanced back one more time at the group, who by now had mostly crumbled to their knees but still had their hands locked together.

“Plagg.” Adrien spoke out, feeling a small stroke of pride when his voice held strong. He extended his hand with his ring out, already feeling power surge through him and the fumes fanning away from him. “Claws out!”

With a bright flash of green light, Adrien transformed into Chat Noir.

The next thing he knew, a black shape with faint red marks burst through the classroom door, grabbed Chat Noir around his waist, and sent them both crashing through the school’s windows. With the now broken window, the poisonous toxins from the harlequin ladybugs had a means to be cleared out.

But now Chat Noir was hurtling towards the ground in the possessed Marinette’s arms. And then, with a quick flick of her wrist, she flung her inversed colored yoyo around a lamp post and swung away with the black cat still in one of her arms.

And all that his friends could do was stare outside through the broken window, faintly aware that the harlequin akumas, though no longer a toxic risk, were encroaching upon them while others crept back again throughout the inside of the building, slowly chewing away at the support beams that held the school together.

Tikki, finally able to breathe again, shot out from Alya’s hair, turned to face the group.

“Everyone!” She yelled, snapping them to attention. “Tap your ladybugs twice! Now!”

Groans. Rumbles. Breakages.

Slowly, the school was collapsing all around them. The group had no time to argue and they didn’t have time to ask questions. They released their hold on each other for just a moment as they obeyed the wise old kwami.

One. Two. A bright, blinding flash.

In the distance, caged in Harlequin’s arms, Chat Noir could see the school building crash down to the ground as the akumas swirled around the destruction.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While reading this, I recommend listening to the "Apology Song" from "The Book Of Life". Here's the link to the one I found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttR5s-pwrcQ
> 
> Enjoy and feel free to leave a comment!

This wasn’t the first time that Chat Noir wanted to believe that this was just some sort of freaky nightmare. While searching for Marinette, he wanted to believe that he was waking up to another normal day and he was going to see his friends, who were safe due to his and Ladybug’s tireless protective efforts. After the incident with “Le Gamer”, Chat Noir actually contemplated calling Marinette and asking her if she wanted to play a round of that new video game that she had been gushing about during class. They might have even been able to relax enough to where they could have pigged out on Tom and Sabine’s delicious treats. When Marinette had given him that lucky charm of hers, Chat Noir had never felt luckier than when he was with his lady.

If only he had told her that he was suspecting that his dearest wish, his greatest desire, was right there next to him, was blushing and yelling at her parents when they teased them with bad jokes and loving invasions of privacy.

But when Harlequin finally stopped swinging and dropped Chat Noir onto the rock hard ground underneath the Eiffel Tower, he was forced to realize that this wasn’t a dream. This was reality. And he was going to face the consequences.

Chat Noir scrambled onto his hands and knees and dared to look back towards the demolished school building, desperately hoping for some kind of sign that his friends were okay.

The akuma ladybugs had a different plan though. They swarmed the duo with a rapid swirl and isolated them, cutting off any contact from the outside, including any sounds that Chat Noir’s sensitive ears might have picked up. The akumas were playing their humming song again, but at least they weren’t emitting any poisonous gases.

“You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this, Chat Noir.” A woman’s voice called out from Harlequin’s earrings, sounding amplified and smooth in the midst of the storm.

Before Chat Noir could retort, Harlequin flung out her yoyo and sent the head of it sailing towards him. He barely dodged it in time with a quick leap backwards. But when his back made contact with the swirling ladybug wall, Chat Noir felt sharp, blazing hot stabs ranging from the back of his skull to his ankles. A high pitched scream ripped past his throat and he was sent hurtling to the ground, crying out at the sharp contact of the cold stones.

He was paralyzed. Pain racked throughout his system and Chat Noir was too stunned to let out another scream.

Harlequin, making only the faintest tapping sounds, stepped towards him and bent down on one knee near his face. A cool, gloved hand gently cupped Chat Noir’s chin and almost tenderly guided his tearing, pain filled gaze towards her empty ones.

If Chat Noir thought that his heart had broken the day he found out that Marinette was missing after he had failed to protect her back then, his whole being nearly gave way when he looked into her eyes.

They should have been sparkling and vibrant. They should be picking out details for new fashion creations with discernment and passion. They should have been exploding with excitement at the sheer thought of simply living and loving like she always did.

But Marinette’s eyes were dead now.

“How does it feel?” The voice whispered, seemingly relishing a cruel joke. “To look at your beloved and know that you can’t help her? That you can’t do anything to bring her back even though she’s standing right in front of you?”

With each word that the woman’s, Leto’s, voice spoke, Harlequin’s inversed earrings glowed. The akuma stricken heroine dropped Chat Noir’s chin, watching his chin hit the ground with a dull thump as she continued to kneel.

A pause. Then a slap on his back.

He screamed again and recoiled as Harlequin pressed down on his back, sending fiery pain to course throughout his body.

“This is nothing compared to the pain you two have continued to haunt me with for thousands of years.” Leto snarled, manipulating Harlequin’s every move. She lifted her hand from his back, stood her up, and forced her puppet to walk to Chat Noir’s side and give him a sharp kick so that he was sprawled on his back. The added friction did nothing to help the black cat as he continued to writhe, although the coolness of the stones did help alleviate him just a little bit.

No matter how much pain Chat Noir was in though, he never reached for his staff. He only shook his head, fought back to get to his senses, and slowly began pushing himself up from the ground.

Harlequin didn’t try to stop him. Maybe it was because her puppet mistress felt like she had all the time in the world. She had the upper hand after all. It wasn’t like he was going anywhere anyway thanks to her little bugs.

“Wh-…” Chat Noir began, finally stumbling onto his feet and resting his hands on his unsteady knees. “Why are you doing this?”

Leto didn’t answer right away. Instead, she made Harlequin flick her wrist and aimed it so that the yoyo was headed straight for Chat Noir’s head. When he dodged that, he ended up knocking his upper right arm against the akuma wall, crying out in pain again. But he still didn’t reach for his weapon. It was becoming clear that this alley cat wasn’t going to fight anytime soon. He was refusing to hurt his princess.

That was fine with Leto. This just made things easier. Boring, but easier.

“Let’s see.” Leto hummed as Chat Noir held his burning arm. “How about the fact that for thousands of years, I have been forced to watch every person I have chosen to get the Miraculous for me fail in their endeavors due to their opponents luck? Or how I have been forced to watch each chosen couple to fall in love with each other while I am being tormented?” A pause. “Or what about the nightmares that I am forced to have replay in my sleep, because of a cat and a beetle?!”

Harlequin rushed up to Chat Noir and grabbed his wrists, tugging him towards her until he was merely inches from her face.

“With every failed attempt,” Leto began, her voice becoming shriller by the moment. “With every Hawkmoth I had promised to give power to, I am rewarded by mockeries of watching everyone have their joy while I have nothing!”

Harlequin sent Chat Noir hurtling to the ground again, landing on his aching back. The puppet girl took three quick steps towards him, kneeled down, and tightly grabbed his neck. She wasn’t choking him, but she had a tight enough grip that kept the feline in check. Chat Noir wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“Back when I was alive…when my Philo was alive…” Tears began to drip down Harlequin’s blank face. Leto’s voice dropped to a whisper, wavering. “We believed that our heroes were going to protect us… We believed that we were going to live in peace after Philo had fought to protect me… Because I was cursed…”

Chat Noir continued to lay there as Leto’s earrings glowed even brighter than before. Images danced across his eyes, baring witness to an ancient Greek city, lively, happy, and peaceful. A handsome young man with olive skin and brown eyes was smiling without a care towards a young woman with an adoring glow. They shared a brief kiss before the scene shifted to Roman soldiers pillaging the city and destroying everything in their path. A woman in red wraps and a man with black clothing could be seen as they alternated between fighting the soldiers and protecting the people.

Apparently the two of them didn’t make it in time. Just as they had just finished evacuating a family with three small children, a giant column was coming down to crush the heroes. The man in the black clothing shouted out in Ancient Greek, “Κατακλυσμός!”, and sent the column flying away into rubble.

It had been unintentional. They thought that everyone had been sent out to safety. But apparently Leto had just finished saving the last of their food before grabbing her husband, Philo, who was procuring medicine in case they ran across anyone who had been injured in the midst of the battle.

When Leto and Philo had left their home, one of the larger pieces of rubble sailed towards them. Initially, it looked like Leto was the one who was going to be hit. But Philo wouldn’t let that happen. He pushed her out of the way…and that was it.

The images, Leto’s memories, slowly vanished and Chat Noir was brought back into the present day. Hot tears spilled down the side of his face and his heart broke for this villain. No… This woman that his predecessors had wronged. It was unintentional…but she had still been wronged. And she had been forced to play in fate’s cruel scheme. Watching the cat and the bug fall in love at every turn while she was left to suffer.

“I’m sorry.” Chat Noir whispered, daring to reach a trembling hand up to caress Harlequin’s cold cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

A hiss spat out between Chat Noir’s clenched teeth when Harlequin’s other hand snatched his wrist and pinned it to the ground.

“You’re sorry?” Leto growled, the glow in the earrings blazing now. “You’re sorry?! Sorry doesn’t bring back my love! Sorry doesn’t heal time’s wounds and sorry doesn’t erase what happened!”

Tears continued to fall from both of their faces, the cat’s face twisted with torment while the bug’s face remained placid. The humming from the bugs around them slowly grew louder, a storm ready to strike.

“I know.” Chat Noir whispered. “I know. But…” He flexed his aching fingers. “No one should be put through this.” It became a little harder to breathe the longer Leto kept Harlequin’s grip on his throat. “It’s painful enough…not knowing…my love’s name or being scared that…she would never…love me…like I love her…”

He remembered how he had been excited when the teacher said that they were going to be making little personal time capsules. It began by them first making a list of things that they were going to bring from home that they could fit into the recyclable boxes which had been donated to their school. Then they had to write that essay. The essay that tore Marinette to pieces when Chloe just couldn’t mind her own business. The essay that Adrien should have been able to give back to his friend.

When Chat Noir recalled how crushed Marinette looked before she ran out the door and left a crying Tikki behind, he felt like he was dying inside. Why didn’t he run after her? He should have. Even if he didn’t get that paper, then he could have still prevented all of this from happening if he had gone after her. Just like he knew she would have done for him.

“I…” He gulped again. “I didn’t want it to be like this.”

Harlequin didn’t ease up on her grip, but she wasn’t pressing down.

“Oh?” Leto mocked. “And what exactly did you want? A cheerful revelation? Flowery declarations of love? A passionate kiss?” A retching sound. “Oh do spare me. Even if you did tell her who you were, do you honestly think that this girl would still accept you?”

This was a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare. That’s all that it was.

“I have combed through her every memory kitty. And I can tell you this much.” A sick giggle. “She would have been horrified.”

It’s just a nightmare.

“She would have run away from you.”

It’s only a nightmare.

“She wouldn’t have been able to look you in the eye ever again.”

_Please..._ Chat Noir pleaded in his mind. _Let this nightmare end._

“And, if you think about it, I did this girl a favor.” Leto continued cheerfully. “By erasing her memories, I eased her pain. By giving her a new life, I was able to give her a clean start. By destroying those photos, I have eliminated her only path back to her horrendous reality.”

Harlequin bent down, still careful not to put too much pressure on her victim’s neck, and lightly graced Chat Noir’s lips with her own. He let out a small gasp as electricity erupted across his skin. Whether it was a good or a bad thing, Chat Noir didn’t know.

“Let her be free from her pain little kitten.” Leto whispered, her words almost embracing his ears. “I can help ease your pain too.”

The hand that Harlequin had been using to pin down his wrist moved to press down on Chat Noir’s chest, which pounded harder the closer she inched towards him.

“My little marionette can be yours.” She kissed his cheek lightly, almost torturously. “You can still be together. Forever.”

Slowly, from where Harlequin’s hand laid on his chest, black began to turn into white. It began as a tiny pinprick from her index finger, gradually growing until it was the size of her palm.

Leto’s words began to morph and twist. Originally, Chat Noir had heard an older woman talk with grace and power. But now…her voice was changing until it was identical to Marinette’s sweeter sounds.

Her proposition was tempting. If Chat Noir surrendered, he can be with Marinette. They didn’t have to hurt anymore. They wouldn’t have to worry about their families and what anyone might think of them. There wouldn’t even be a need to hide from each other. They could just be what they had always wanted to be.

Together.

Harlequin raised her head and stared at Chat Noir. For a moment, just a moment, it looked like Marinette had returned. Her eyes were sparkling like the heavens and she was looking at him like he was the stars in her skies. She slowly dipped her face towards his.

Chat Noir’s mind was going fuzzy. He couldn’t hear the humming of the akumas, nor could he hear Plagg trying to snap him to his senses. All he wanted to do was kiss his princess. He slowly began to move his face towards her, unaware of the whiteness that was spreading around his chest.

“No!” Harlequin, Marinette, shrieked, _actually shrieked_ , as she leapt away from Chat Noir and grabbed her head.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to fight back!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, if you haven't been watching the French and Korea dubs, there are going to be some spoilers here about some of the characters, so if you don't want to be spoiled, then maybe it wouldn't be a good idea for you to read this yet. But if you have, I hope you enjoy it! Also, for some of the characters who hadn't been released yet, I just made up some stuff.
> 
> Enjoy! Feel free to leave a comment and thank you to everyone who has read this for far!

It was all Alya’s idea.

Or should we say…Lady Wifi’s.

After everyone tapped their ladybugs per Tikki’s instructions, the group had been completely covered in a bright light. The school was collapsing all around them and the floor was becoming unstable. At any minute, they all would have been crushed by the debris that had fallen everywhere once the akumas had finished their job.

But they never laid one mark on the akuma-immune group of people. Or, to be more precise, heroes.

Nathanial, “The Evillustrator”, had the quick wit to sketch out a shield over the group of people within the vicinity while Aurore, “Stormy Weather”, blasted bigger chunks of stray debris away with her lightening. Fred, “Mimeman”, pantomimed an invisible slide chute for them to use in order to escape the dangerous building. One by one, they all slid out of the falling school unharmed.

The heroes however, had found themselves in a warzone. The harlequin ladybugs were not happy that their prey had escaped, nor were they happy that their former victims were able to harness the powers they had when they were victims.

Thanks to the previous Ladybug, Elpis, the group was able to make their weakest moments their greatest strength.

“Everyone!” Tikki shouted, zipping above their heads. “You have to fight back! Ladybug and Chat Noir fought so that you could be safe, so now it’s your turn!”

A swarm of harlequin ladybugs hurled towards them at every direction. Mylene, “Horrificator”, blasted them with her slime, trapping them, while Nino, “The Bubbler”, swung his bubble wand around to capture and contain the akumas, sending them sky high and out of sight. The rest of the group joined in on the fray. All except Lady Wifi, who looked at Tikki with fear in her eyes.

“But…like this…” She began. “Won’t we be under the influence of the akuma again? I don’t want to hurt anyone again.” Thank goodness that Wang Cheng had returned to China before this happened.

Lady Wifi screamed when a group of akuma charged towards her. By reflex, she thrust out her phone and slide a pause symbol over them before “X”-ing them out, deleting them from the area. She was gasping for breath, shocked at her actions.

“Do you feel like you are being possessed?” Tikki asked, gliding over onto her shoulder and stroking her hair, peaceful despite the battle around them. “That’s part of the gift, Alya. Elpis, Ladybug back in Ancient Greece, wanted to find a way to help the victims make peace with their past. She wanted them to find proof that they’ve grown stronger and they are able to change.”

Another group of akuma stormed towards them. Again, Lady Wifi paused the akumas movements, charged forwards, and punched her way through them. With every move that she made, Lady Wifi felt like she was free. There wasn’t a faint buzzing in the back of her head that reminded her that she was being watched, nor was there that feeling like she wanted to shatter someone so that she could broadcast other people hurts.

She was just Alya, Lady Wifi, ready to protect and save her friends.

All around her, her classmates, friends, and other previous victims were harnessing their old abilities and sending the akumas to their doom. With all of them working together, it looked like they were making a great deal of damage to their enemies. For a moment, everything looked like it was going to be okay.

“You fools!” A familiar male voiced boomed. Lady Wifi turned, shielding Tikki as she continued to perch on her shoulder, and saw Hawkmoth standing in front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery, surrounded by black ladybugs. “Don’t think that there’s hope! This will be your end!”

As soon as he said those words, black ladybugs were appearing out of nowhere. For every one that they destroyed, two more would take their place. Sure enough, the group was starting to become overwhelmed by the enemy.

Max, “Le Gamer”, was shooting left and right, absorbing the energy that he gained from his enemies. But they would swarm him on his blind spots when he was distracted by another group.

Kim, “Anti-Cupid”, shot arrow after arrow at the akumas, causing the bugs to fight against each other, making them see each other as the enemy. While it worked well with the black ladybugs were collaborating in large groups, it was harder to aim at the small individual bugs.

Horrificator, Mimeman, and Evillustrator were able to team up and take down larger groups while Stormy Weather helped Alix, “Timebreaker”, take down another group. Since Timebreaker was able to go absorb the akumas energy and return within a matter of minutes into the past, she was able to send multiple versions of herself against the enemy. Thank goodness there were a bunch of them.

Everyone was doing what they could to protect Paris. Even Chloe, “Queen Bee”, and Sabrina, “Fidélité”, were trying to shield any citizens who were unfortunate enough to still be outside. To retaliate against the swarm, Chloe would send her own army of bees against them while Sabrina used her shield as a weapon to hit and slash her opponents while guarding the people as they ran inside various shelters.

Jalil, “Pharaoh”, Xavier, “Pigeon Man”, and Armand, “Dark Blade”, had a bit of a harder time with their abilities. While Pigeon Man was able to get his bird friends to eat as many ladybugs as they could, they couldn’t eat all of them. They were starting to get full and sluggish. While Pharaoh and Dark Blade were able to use their combative skills just fine, they aren’t able to possess the akuma like they could with normal people. Perhaps they couldn’t control those who were being controlled by someone else.

Agent Roger, “Rogercop”, was blasting enemies left and right. Covering for him, Ivan, “Rock Monster”, levitated debris and shrapnel from the school and threw them at the akuma. Whenever ammo wasn’t in sight, Rock Monster manipulated the earth to do his bidding.

Juleka, “Jagged Star”, whipped out her guitar (reminiscent of her father’s, Jagged Stone’s) and let loose high pitched notes and strikes, sending the akumas flying and dazed. Rose, “Briar Rose”, played a beautiful melody on her harp, lulling the enemies into a sleepy dance before shaking the harp into a whip made of thorns and lashing out. Surprisingly, when they played as a duet, they were able to do a great amount of damage.

What was probably the most disconcerting sight was watching Theo, “Copycat”, thread in between enemies as he fought like Chat Noir. Lady Wifi had to remind herself several times that he wasn’t her friend. He was miles away from them trying to save her best friend.

Speaking of which…

“Tikki.” She turned to the little red kwami. “Why is Hawkmoth standing in front of the bakery? Nothing’s there except Marinette’s parents and some pastries.”

Tikki smiled cryptically and flew up to her ear, whispering. Lady Wifi’s eyes widen, her breath catching in her throat. She balled up her fists and charged towards the man who had manipulated her and her friends to his will.

Payback was going to be sweet.

***

Inside the bakery, Tom and Sabine were huddling together inside Marinette’s room. They figured that if they were going to go down, they were going to do so in the place where their beloved daughter had once been. In a sense, it was like their baby girl was still with them.

It had been absolutely heartbreaking that they couldn’t find any of the missing pictures or news clippings.

Nothing made sense.

Earlier that week, Tom was putting up posters on their daughter on various buildings with updated information or to replace the ones that had fallen or had been ripped off. As he was doing so, he noticed that his daughter’s smiling picture had become faded. Finally, she just wasn’t there anymore.

When Sabine called him on his cellphone in tears, everything had gotten worse. Not only were they losing her pictures, but Marinette’s fashion creations were missing too. Soon enough, they were going to have nothing of their daughter to remember her by. Nothing to bring back memories. And now they’ve found themselves holding each other close as they sat on a bare bed, tears falling down their faces.

Then a dark figure blasted through Marinette’s window, followed by a smaller black figure. Sabine screamed and Tom jumped to his feet, thrusting his wife behind him and prepared himself to protect the last of his precious family with his bare fists.

But Hawkmoth, stuck with a pause symbol over his body, looked up at the ceiling with a look of frozen wrath and hideous bruises. Lady Wifi shook her head, extremely grateful for her indestructible suit. Maybe it’s made out of the same type of material as Ladybug and Chat Noir’s. There was no time for that thought though.

She turned and looked up towards the balcony where Marinette’s shocked and terrified parents were. Tom still had his fists up and Sabine was shaking behind him. Judging by the glare that he was still shooting at her, it would probably be safe to say that he didn’t recognize her. And Lady Wifi REALLY didn’t want to freeze her best friend’s dad and scare her mom even more.

“Wait!” Lady Wifi shouted, lifting her hands up in a surrender pose. “It’s me! Alya!”

Tom paused and raised an eyebrow. “Alya?” He whispered.

Sabine slowly came out of her crouch behind the bed and walked to her husband’s side with caution.

“I can prove it.” Lady Wifi said quickly. “Marinette isn't good with phones. She's an expert at making clothes and stuff. She’s always sleeping through her alarm. She’s allergic to cashews and she has a custom made wallpaper of Adrien Agreste on her computer and…”

“Okay!” Tom released his fists and shook his head, relieved and smiling. “It’s good to see you Alya. But…” He gestured towards the strange, fallen man. “Can you explain _that_?”  
“There’s no time.” Lady Wifi rushed out. “You’ve got to help me save Marinette.”

At the mention of their daughter, Tom and Sabine all but jumped down the ladder and stood at attention in front of Lady Wifi. If they had looked frightened before, there was hint of that in their faces or in their posture. Nothing was going to stop them. Not even a swarm of deadly ladybugs.

“Tell us what to do.”

***

According to Tikki, if you listened closely, the harlequin ladybugs were actually singing. To the naked ear, all one would be able to hear was that incessant humming sound. But in reality, they were all playing a nightmarish lullaby that kept Leto’s marionette in her grasp. Every last one of them, even as they fought, sang and sang and sang, keeping Ladybug under her control.

_Little lonely waif._

_Tears cascade down your face._

_The shadows shout with glee as night calls them to play._

_Little lonely waif._

_Your worries have only begun._

_The monsters will come and remind you of the dusk._

_Little lonely waif._

_Your fear has only begun._

_No one is coming to save you, so you better get ready to run._

So when Lady Wifi crashed into Marinette’s home, a plan was formulating in her mind. Because even though Leto had managed to erased Marinette’s memories, manipulate her, and take away her photos and creations, she had intentionally left out one little flaw in her plan.

Songs are memories. And since songs applied to everyone in a different way and triggered different memories, Leto couldn’t pin them down, as they were not exclusive to Marinette.

All that was needed was a cure. Lady Wifi set her phone in front of her, fixed upon Tom and Sabine. Pressing a record button and concentrating hard on where Lady Wifi wanted to broadcast her show, every akuma ladybug was soon covered with mini screens on their tiny bodies.

As the bright light got into their sensitive eyes, their movements became erratic and hazardous. The rest of the heroes were shocked and shielded their own eyes against the glare.

With Chat Noir and Harlequin, the swirling ladybugs in their own little cocoon glowed brightly. They had been too caught up in their fighting and Leto’s mind control attempts that they hadn’t paid attention to the change in their surroundings.

Then a soft sweet song played out from the mini screens. Tom and Sabine’s voices, strong and gentle, filled the Parisian battle air.

_Little darling mine._

_Don’t you cry._

_The shadows will run and day will come._

_Little darling mine._

_Don’t you fret._

_The monsters can’t harm you and love will win._

_Little darling mine._

_Don’t you fear._

_Mummy and Daddy will always be here._

The little akuma monsters couldn’t stand a chance against the forces that were upon them. The light refused to leave their eyes and the couple refused to stop singing their song. Lady Wifi was able to amplify their voices and uphold the broadcast until Tom and Sabine’s lullaby rang out all over Paris.

Marinette, feeling Leto’s painful grasp on her begin to loosen within the chaos, saw a picture of her kind and loving parents appear before her eyes. Parents who taught her to do good to everyone around her and to love no matter how hard things had gotten. Parents who taught her to never give up and never stop fighting for hope.

Leto, sensing that she was losing control over her host, fought to regain her standing. But the damage had already been done. She had tried to get the cat under her control by making it look like Marinette had remembered the love she had for him and draw him in. All she did was insert a small bit of memory back in. But that little leeway was going to cost her.

Because now Marinette was fighting back.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle has begun. Marinette faces off against Leto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soo sorry for not updating sooner! I was splitting my focus on a book I'm writing and I was also distracted by my new "Fire Emblems: Fates" game. But thank you so much for everyone who had left me such kind words and encouragement to help me along with this story and inspire me to keep going until the end. After this, only one chapter remains, so stay tuned! :) As always, feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think.

For Marinette, it had been like watching a black and white movie while being wrapped in a warm cotton soft blanket. Over the past couple months, she had been living in what she couldn’t decide was a blissful dream or a horrifying nightmare. Pictures floated in and around her, some in color when a woman who looked a lot like her and a larger man with an equally large warmth in his eyes so much like her own begged and cried for her to “come home”.

But where was home?

And why were they singing a warped song?

When the black and white pictures came though, rich sounds of laughter and music graced her ears and Ancient Greece’s scents flooded her senses. A woman with long thick brown hair with a pure white lily tucked behind her ear beamed at her as a kind looking man held Marinette’s hand like she was a precious little treasure.

This must be home. With her loving parents.

Up ahead in a grove, her friends were waiting for her. They were going to try and see if they could see the new play about the satyr and the nymph. One boy in particular smiled at her like she was the sun and Marinette automatically moved to wave at him with a smile of her own.

Then an image of a young man with cat ears, a black mask, and burn marks on his neck and handsome face appeared. A split second later, the mask was erased from the image and only one name existed. Only one name mattered and made her heart sing.

_Adrien._

A sound of shattered glass filled the air and Marinette’s fog world cracked, little harlequin ladybugs creeping in through the spaces. The once kind looking faces became warped and ugly, especially that of Marinette’s “mother”. In an instant, her kind and gentle demeanor turned sharp and filled with malice.

_“So you still care about the traitor?”_ “Mother” hissed, stepping out of the world she had crafted for Marinette to rest in. Marinette struggled to gulp in a couple breaths before replying. Tears were already filling her eyes at the thought of the young man. But why?

“What do you mean?” Marinette whispered, falling to her knees as the ladybugs swarmed above and around her.

“Mother” sneered and shook her head.

_“Of course. Of course you don’t remember.”_ She shrugged. _“Believe me when I say this child. It’s for the better. If you remembered why you are in the predicament, there would be no return for you. You’d be broken beyond repair.”_

Marinette shook her head. She tried to recapture the image of the black-clad male, but he was already slipping out of her grasp. The name however, remained etched within her.

“Please…” Marinette begged, licking her dry lips. “Who is he? Who is Adrien?”

The woman clicked her tongue in annoyance.

_“Give up this endeavor my beetle. Not if you don’t want to end up like me.”_

A flash of rage rippled through Marinette’s core. From where it came from, she didn’t know. But Marinette gritted her teeth and a roar ripped through, hot tears streaming down her face as she jumped back to her feet. There was no way she was taking this sitting down.

The ladybugs scattered away with high pitched screams as a light shone like a beacon beneath Marinette’s feet while a black shape curved around the bright circle. The woman scowled and hissed as the yang symbol, Ladybug’s symbol, broke the illusory world away for good, leaving them only with a pure white area without even a floor to support them.

“Tell me the truth! I’d rather die than live a lie!” Marinette screamed, fire coursing through her veins. For a brief flash, she was adorned with a red suit decorated with black spots. “Who is he?! I know that you know!”

The woman roared with rage and her form changed. Within seconds, she had transformed into a Marinette’s mirror image. But instead of looking like a human girl, strings were tied around her wrists and ankles while her face looked like it was made of wood. When she spoke, the mouthpiece moved with a clack.

_“You’re just a puppet now. My marionette.”_ The woman hissed. _“And I am your mistress, Leto. For years I have been hunting those like you and that boy down so that you may suffer as I had. And then, one fateful day, you presented me with an opportunity I couldn’t possibly resist.”_

Leto turned to her right and a giant screen appeared, broadcasting the day when Chloe stole Marinette’s time capsule paper.

_“People were cruel.”_ Leto whispered, watching as Marinette’s classmates swarmed her shorting before Tikki popped out of her bag. _“The ones that you had fought so hard to protect only saw their image of the divine heroine of Paris was ripped asunder by the awkward, silly girl hiding amongst them.”_

Marinette, as much as she wanted to, couldn’t tear her eyes away from the screen. Her heart was writhing in pain, feeling the old memories flit and flutter through her. One moment the memories were there, then Leto’s magic would pull them away.

_“Even your best friend had the gall to accuse you of not trusting her.”_ Leto spat, her puppet form clacking in disgust. _“How soon she forgot how fervent she was in trying to unmask you and divulge every little detail out to the public. Who could possibly trust her? She was practically a traitor the day she created that accursed blog of hers.”_

Alya’s betrayed and teary image came and went. But the pain remained. The memories may be coming and going, but the scars still lived on.

_“And that wasn’t the worst of it.”_ Leto whispered, her voice taking a more gentle turn. _“The boy you gave your heart to…shattered it.”_

Adrien’s shocked image appeared on the screen and remained. From the position he was in, he wasn’t readying himself to retrieve the paper nor did it look like he was coming to her rescue.

_“It’s no secret that he was enamored with Ladybug. It must have been a great surprise when he discovered that his lady was sitting right behind him the whole time.”_ Leto released a hollow laugh. _“Even though it was so painfully obvious. And the ironic thing is that you two have been fighting side-by-side the whole time.”_

The scene shifted to play Adrien’s heated search for Marinette. She witnessed every tear, every scream, and every pain filled moment that he went through. The regret and shame was crystal clear.

_“Now that he knows that you’re Ladybug, now he cares about the girl.”_ Leto’s puppet form turned back to look at her with a blank stare. _“It’s funny really. In the beginning, before he knew who you were, he saw Marinette as just a friendly, if not awkward, classmate. And Ladybug was his shining angel whom he had repeated thrown away his life, safety, and even his dignity in order to protect her. And now that he knows that you are one and the same, now he cares about Marinette. Now he looks at you with eyes of love.”_

Marinette’s heart began to writhe, knowing what was to come but begging for it not to.

_“But only because you’re Ladybug. If Ladybug had been some other girl, he would have given his heart fully to her. And Marinette could never hope to stand a chance.”_

“No!” Marinette lunged at Leto, grabbing her wooden face and fighting the strings that proceeded to wrap around her. The more she struggled, the deeper the strings cut into her skin. Blood started trickling from her wrists and ankles, but Marinette’s fury wouldn’t let her care or register the pain.

At this moment, from Chat Noir’s world, Leto was thrashing about and covering her face, scratching at it like fire ants were biting her. But in Leto’s puppet world, Marinette was awake and alive.

Soon enough though, the strings were surrounding her on all sides and Marinette couldn’t move anymore as the harlequin ladybugs streamed in from all around. They blotted out every square inch of light and returned everything back to darkness. When the strings pulled her arms and legs spread eagle, the puppet woman sprang back to safety, a chilling sense of victory inside of her.

_“Face it little one. Everyone loved the icon. Everyone loved the hero. But when they discovered her true face, now they know that she’s not special at all. She’s just a little girl playing in a war she shouldn’t have been a part of.”_

The harlequin ladybugs began humming their warped lullaby and images of monsters and cruel, mocking laughter at the broken heroine crawled inside Marinette’s heart. Her will was being shattered and she was breaking.

She had no cards left to play. There was no Tikki to transform her into a hero. There was no Chat Noir to tell her that everything was going to be okay. There was no mama and papa to tell her how much they love her and that she was precious to them. And there was no Adrien to tell her that Leto was wrong. That he would always love her with or without the mask. That even if another girl was Ladybug, Marinette would still be his lady. And that he forgave her for her pushing him away and not seeing what was right there.

_“It’s alright my sweet.”_ Leto cooed, transforming back into the kind and gentle woman from earlier. _“You don’t have to suffer. We can go back to our world and live our lives happily. Philo is waiting for his wife and daughter. We can’t dally.”_

The ladybugs continued to sing their lullaby and Marinette’s eyes grew heavy. She doesn’t want to buy into these tender lies. She knows that Leto’s illusion isn’t her world. But it was so inviting. And she wouldn’t feel any pain. She could just be a normal girl and she could be happy with the gifts that Leto would give her. New parents who she didn’t have to lie to. Friends that she didn’t have to worry about turning their backs on her. A love who would look at her as a girl and still see her as precious beyond compare.

Suddenly, a bright pink light cut through the darkness and a new screen appeared. The ladybugs hissed and flinched away, chirping with horror. Leto screamed in rage and her eyes turned blood red as her youthful appearance turned old and haggard.

On the screen was Tom and Sabine, holding hands and singing their loving lullaby out to their baby girl.

_Little darling mine._

_Don’t you cry._

_The shadows will run and day will come._

_Little darling mine._

_Don’t you fret._

_The monsters can’t harm you and love will win._

_Little darling mine._

_Don’t you fear._

_Mummy and Daddy will always be here._

The song repeated and the ladybugs hissed and tried to attack the screen. But with each attempt, they would meet their end before they could even touch it. They all burned away like tiny little fireflies. Not even Leto could come close to the pure love emitting from Marinette’s parents and from the powerful bond of friendship from the other akuma victims turned warriors.

Finally, Tom and Sabine nodded at the person behind the camera and Alya’s voice rang out with a sob as they hummed the lullaby.

“Marinette! We’re sorry!” A sob ripped through her throat. “I’m the worst friend in the world! I shouldn’t have yelled at you! I shouldn’t have made it out like you had done me wrong!”

Other many different directions, other familiar voices rang out. With each voice, memories good and bad rang through and illuminated Marinette’s world.

“C’mon! We need you back! Who’s going to make me another sick banner when I kick Kim’s butt again?!” Alix cried, her voice amplified by her dozens of Timebreaker copies.

“Or who’s going to tell Alix that her skates are as good as mine after my next dare?!” Kim countered, waving a black arrow with a large grin.

“And you did promise that we were going to the next gaming tournament!” Max shouted, adjusting his glasses. “No one’s as good a gaming partner as you!”

“And how am I going to be a good DJ if you’re not there to cheer me on with everyone else?!” Nino said as he rested his bubble wand across his shoulders.

Many similar cries rang out. Whether they were words of encouragement or affirmation, they were all from people who Marinette about. From people who cared about Marinette. Not just the heroine. But the girl.

“If you don’t get back here…” Chloe mumbled, looking very uncomfortable and red.

Okay. Now Marinette was REALLY listening. What could Chloe Bourgeois have to say that would make her so…vulnerable?

“How am I supposed to tell you…I’m sorry…?” She bowed her head until her face was completely hidden. “Ladybug…was my hero. She was the one person who always saved me and never asked me for anything in return. But while I was so giddy and happy that my idol would run over to save me, you must have wanted to turn around and fling your yoyo in the other direction. Right?”

Chloe lifted her head, tears streaming down her masked face.

“I’m sorry! Okay?!” She screamed, tears pouring faster and she brushed away Sabrina when she tried to rest console her. “I’m sorry! I promise that if you come back…we can try to be friends! I won’t give up Adrien to you! But we can still try again!”

Then the screen shifted to Alya’s, Lady Wifi’s, own crying face. Her lips quivered as she tried to maintain a level of composure.

Throughout all of this, Tom and Sabine continued to hum Marinette’s lullaby without pausing.

“And I promise to take down the Ladyblog! I’ll get rid of everything! Just please come home! COME HOME!”

Streams of light like shooting stars shot out from the screen and came together into the shape of a ball the size of Marinette’s balm. Leto screeched as the ball of light bolted to Marinette and stopped on the tips of her lips with a soft flutter.

“Say the words Marinette.” Tikki’s voice whispered. “Say the words. And you will be free.”

_“No child!”_ Leto shrieked, falling to her hands and knees at the overwhelming light. _“They will only hurt you again! Your heart will never know peace! Stay with me!”_

“Marinette!” Chat Noir’s voice rang out. The screen changed to the battle scene where Marinette’s real body was now lying on the ground and writhing in agony. Above her, Chat Noir was holding her close and looking at her with fear…and yet hope. “I’m with you! I’ll always be with you! Whatever happens, we’ll go through it together!”

“Say the words Marinette.” Tikki whispered, a smile evident in her voice.

_“NO!”_ Leto screamed one last time.

“LUCKY CHARM!” Marinette yelled from the top of her lungs.

The ball of light flashed and the harlequin ladybugs colors reverted. Now they looked exactly like the traditional ladybug that Marinette knew.

And then, when the light vanished, Chat Noir was standing right in front of her. His bright green eyes were wide and confused. But when he spotted Marinette being held hostage by the strings and an exhausted Leto crawling to move in the space between him and his little lady, Chat Noir snapped to attention.

They didn’t need Ladybug’s special vision to see what must be done. It was time for Leto to finally rest and return to her beloved. She was only a remnant spirit, a memory of pain and regret. And now it was Chat Noir’s time to help ease her brokenness.

“CATACLSYM!”

Three quick steps, one touch on Leto’s broken back, and a whish of sand blowing away in the breeze. A gentle, masculine hand caressed both Marinette’s and Chat Noir’s cheeks, a final remnant of gratitude from the man that their ancestors had wrongfully killed all those years ago.

“Thank you…” A man’s voice whispered, ancient as time and finally free.

“Thank you…” A woman’s voice echoed, caressing their hair as gentle as a breeze.

And then they were gone.

***

It was over. It was finally over.

A bright light of Ladybug’s healing energy swept across Paris, repairing buildings, automobiles, and healing anyone who had gotten hurt in the attack. The warriors who had fought so valiantly to protect their home and aid their heroes had returned to normal as well, hugging each other in victory and relief.

Tom and Sabine cried with joy and they wrapped their arms around a crying Alya, who whispered over and over, “I’m sorry. I’ll be a better friend. I’m sorry.”

All of Paris was rejoicing. Their heroes had saved them once again and peace had returned. Everyone raced out to the streets and cried out, knowing that Ladybug was finally safe and home.

The warriors all ran towards the Eiffel Tower where they had seen Chat Noir get sent off by Harlequin. Even Tom, Sabine, and Alya raced out of the bakery and rushed towards the scene, exhilaration and relief coursing through their systems.

When they all arrived though, their shouts of victory and celebration where cut short by Chat Noir’s cries and shuddering shoulders as he released his transformation and held a familiar girl close to his chest.

Marinette wasn’t waking up.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter. Will everything be okay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry for taking so long for getting this up. Thanks so much for everyone who gave me such kind comments and for reading all my chapters thus far. I hope you enjoy this last chapter and let me know what you think. :)
> 
> By the way, the songs that I used for this chapter are songs that I heard on YouTube and made me think of Marinette. None of the songs belong to me and Miraculous doesn't belong to me either.

Marinette’s hospital room could have been mistaken as a florist’s shop. It seemed like every Parisian came to pay their respects to their heroine and offer condolences to her parents, both of whom were relieved to know that their sweet little girl had returned to them. But at the same time they couldn’t help but wonder at what cost. What price was paid so that she could return to them?

Whenever they could, Tom and Sabine would visit Marinette in the hopes that she would awaken and they could wrap her in safe and loving arms. At every visit, it looked like she was on the brink of fluttering open those sapphire blue eyes and give them a bright warm smile like she always did. But each time she didn’t, their hearts chipped away. But they refused to give up hope. And so they continued to visit her as the week crept on.

“Is Marinette going to be okay Mommy?” Manon asked her mother, tucking in the Lady Wifi, Evillustrator, Robocop, Ladybug, and Chat Noir dolls Marinette had made for her months ago. She pressed Chat Noir’s face to the sleeping teen’s face, wiping her tears and nose with her free hand. “I don’t want another babysitter. Marinette’s the best in the world.”

Manon’s mother bit her bottom lip and stroked her daughter’s pigtails.

“I don’t know sweetie.” She confessed. “According to the doctor, they don’t even know what’s going on.”

“But she’ll be okay. Right?” Manon cried, moving to hold Marinette’s cold hand. “She promised to make me more dolls! She said that we were going to play together some more! That I would win the game next time!” Manon climbed fully into Marinette’s hospital bed and laid her head on Marinette’s chest, which raised slowly up and down with every intake of breath. “I can feel you breathing Marinette…” She sobbed. “Wake up… I know you can…”

Manon’s mom choked back a sob and just allowed her daughter to stay close to her sister figure. She couldn’t bear to tell Manon that it could have just been the machine making Marinette breath.

***

The next day, Sabrina replaced the dried sunflowers with a new batch while Chloe stood awkwardly at the doorway, staring at Marinette’s sleeping form. She drew herself in and wrapped her arms around herself.

“Adrien told me something not too long ago.” Chloe whispered.

Sabrina turned to look at her over her shoulder with a raise eyebrow. For the first time in all the years they’ve known each other, she had never seen Chloe look so small and so crestfallen.

“That I was the reason why at least half of the people we knew became victims.” Chloe explained, bowing her head. “And now I’m the reason why my hero was hurt. Why this whole mess happened in the first place.”

Sabrina picked up the dry sunflowers and walked over to Chloe, placing one hand on her shoulder.

“Well…” She began with hesitation. “Everyone makes mistakes.”

Chloe snorted and her face to on a look of sheer disgust.

“And with every word out of my mouth I’ve caused Paris to go into chaos.” She retorted, smacking Sabrina’s hand away. Chloe stomped over to Marinette’s side and hunched her shoulders. “Daddy could have been thrown out of office because of me. Did you know that he wanted to become president? Can he still become one now?”

Sabrina rubbed her stinging wrist on her back and held the flowers close, unsure of what to say. This was unlike Chloe. She was always so full of confidence and every stride was taken with purpose for better or for worse. She always knew what she wanted and she never stopped fighting for it no matter what the consequences were. And now…

“How can I even go to school?” Chloe whispered, bending down and laying her forearms on Marinette’s bed rail. She pressed her forehead against her arms, her voice coming out muffled. “If, no, WHEN she wakes up, how am I going to face her? Sorry can’t possibly be enough and there’s no way we can just sweep this under the rug like we did in the past. And as if I can just let her borrow my favorite dress and makeup and be BFF’s like everything’s fine and peachy…”

Sabrina, despite being pushed around and pushed away so many times before, laid a gentle hand against her friend’s back and just stood there with her, allowing silence and tears to fall.

“No matter what happens,” Sabrina finally said with a soft whisper. “I’ll always be with you.”

Chloe let out a loud sob and her whole form crumbled as she fell to her knees.

***

One week turned into two. Every day felt like agony for three particular students when their friend didn’t return to her seat with a sweet, awkward smile and frazzled bedhead, apologizing for her tardiness with silly excuses. It was like the cycle began all over again, only this time with two cruel ironies.

Hawkmoth, in the blurriness of the chaos, had slipped away once again, far out of the reaches of justice and the chance to take away his Miraculous.

And Marinette, Ladybug, had returned to them. But now she was in a comatose state with Tikki, her ever loyal friend and companion, tucked in the crook of her neck and her hair. And not all of the cookies in Tom and Sabine’s bakery could cajole Tikki from her spot, whether the owners themselves tried or if Marinette’s other friends tried. Plagg, however, didn’t bother trying to make her leave.

“It’s like losing a part of her body.” Plagg explained as Adrien, Alya, and Nino rode in Adrien’s limo towards the hospital. “It’s very common for the Miraculous holder and their kwami to have a close bond. More often than not, it extends to the point of where they consider each other to be family.”

Alya pursed her lips and tapped the side of her phone.

“So…now what?” She asked, glancing at the hollow faced model.

When the ambulance arrived to take Marinette away after the final battle, Adrien all but shoved himself in there with her, begging to not be separated from Marinette again. During the whole ride, he never released her hand. When they arrived at the hospital, some of the medical workers had to pry his fingers away before transporting her to the emergency room.

This time, Natalie and Gabriel didn’t bother with making Adrien work. They both agreed that he had been under enough strain and he should be given as much time to recuperate as possible. Even if it took months or years.

“Well, what did the doctor say happened to Marinette?” Nino asked, stroking his chin. “We know that she’s in a coma, but they couldn’t find anything else?”

Alya nodded, scrolling through old pictures of her and her best friend, breathing in and out slowly in order to control the tears that wanted to fall.

“According to the doctor, all we can do is wait. Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng tried doing some research of their own and they said that it could also be a good thing to just keep visiting, talking to her, and keep it nice and peaceful.”

“So just…doing what we’ve been doing.” Nino concluded with scrunched eyebrows.

Alya held up a finger and smiled at her boyfriend.

“I have one idea.” She held up her phone and clicked on the music app, scrolling until she came to the playlist titled, “Memories”. “I mean, it could work. Right?”

Nino glanced at Adrien, who had shifted to look outside the limo, waiting to arrive at the hospital.

“I hope so.” Nino whispered, fidgeting with his headphones. “I hope so.”

About ten minutes went by in silence. It wasn’t awkward and it wasn’t comfortable. It was just…there. But finally, they did arrive at their destination. Adrien shoved the limo door open, not bothering to wait for Gorilla to perform his duties. Nino and Alya weren’t too far behind him as they power walked to keep up.

The middle aged female receptionist with a loose bun, who was already familiar with the trio and their frequent visits, greeted them with a sympathetic smile and nod at the heroine’s friends and her partner.

“Go on in.” She said with a soothing voice, perfect for the environment she worked in. “No one’s there right now, so take as much time as you need.”

The teens mumbled a grateful thanks in return and followed the same corridor, passing by the same nurses and doctors, passing by the same patients being escorted back and forth through their rooms. When they arrived at Marinette’s room, feelings of hope and fear swirled inside them.

Adrien extended a trembling hand towards the cool metallic doorknob, praying that his friend would already be awake and sitting up in her bed. He longed to see her. No, that was an understatement. He couldn’t stand going another day without her being by his side. Even if he didn’t know it, Marinette had always been with him and she had become an essential part of his existence. At this point, that wasn’t an exaggeration for him. He needed her. Even if she hated him in the end for not protecting her from being under Leto’s control, Adrien had to take the chance. Though the price may be a broken heart, he had nothing to lose.

He opened the door with a heavy arm.

She was still lying there, the heart monitoring beeping evenly, indicating that there was still a measure of life in the girl on the bed.

With nary a sound, Adrien, Nino, and Alya entered the room and stood by Marinette’s bed, Adrien on one side and Nino and Alya on the other. Nino crossed his fingers as Alya flicked to her “Memories” playlist. Adrien, too afraid to take a step closer to the fragile looking girl, stayed rooted in place.

Alya pressed the play button. Instantly, the song, “Part of Your World”, the reprise version played out of the phone. Then the Nightcore version of “Super Hero”, Nickelback’s “Hero”, and other songs followed. Every so often, Alya would hum along with the songs and stroke Marinette’s hair, careful to not disturb the sleeping Tikki who nuzzled into the sleeping patient’s loose locks.

Plagg, having remained silent, popped out of Adrien’s over shirt and gently flew over to Tikki’s side, kissing the top of her head. Then he sat down next to her at a respectful distance and with loving, sad eyes.

“This is always the toughest part.” Plagg whispered just over the dean of music. Adrien’s ears perked up to listen, but his eyes remained stuck on Marinette’s sleeping face. “We love, care, and fight together so much. And then we get scared of losing them. It never gets any easier.”

Adrien’s heart twisted and ached, tears now cascading down his cheeks. He took one step, then two, and wrapped his larger hands around one of Marinette’s smaller ones, hating how cold they felt.

“That’s not going to happen.” Adrien rasped out. “It won’t happen.”

Finally, the song played a recording of Tom and Sabine’s lullaby. By now, it had become an anthem of sorts in honor of Ladybug’s departure and now Marinette’s bittersweet return. There was hardly anyone in Paris who hadn’t heard of it.

And still…Marinette did not stir. And the songs continued their loop.

“What is it going to take to make you wake up?” Adrien whispered, more tears falling. He was sick and tired of crying. When was he going to laugh after Marinette made a face at his terrible puns? When is he going to smile when Marinette greets him at school? When is this stupid drama going to end?

Suddenly, when Marinette’s lullaby played again, Adrien felt a twitch. He jolted up and stared at the hand he was holding.

He felt another twitch, this time with her fingers jolting.

Warmth and energy surged through him much like the time he first found Marinette not too long before she became Leto’s Harlequin. He felt heat rush through his cheeks when she saw Marinette slowly move her head back and forth across her pillow, shaking Tikki from her slumber.

“Oh! Oh my gosh!” Tikki cried, bolting up in the air with a grinning Plagg.

“Ha ha!” Plagg cheered.

Tapping sounds from outside came rushing towards the hospital room and Tom and Sabine burst through the door, their eyes wide with concern after hearing the cries from the kwamis.

“What’s going on?! What’s wrong?!” Sabine cried, stopping short when she saw her daughter’s moving head.

Tom’s jaw dropped, eyeing the way Alya’s phone continued to play the lullaby they had recorded not too long ago.

“Is this… Is this really…?” Tom stammered, following his wife to Marinette’s bedside.

Adrien shifted to make room for Tom and Sabine, but he never wandered too far from Marinette.

Finally…finally…Marinette opened her eyes. She blinked once, twice, and looked around her room with a blank face. Whether the many perfumes of the flowers bothered her or not, her face never indicated. One hand shifted and her fingers brushed against Alya’s phone. She grabbed it with a shaky hand and lifted it up, staring at the song title, “Always There” from the old Land Before Time movie she watched when she was little.

“Mari? Darling?” Sabine called out quietly, looking at her daughter with eyes shining with hope.

Marinette, still laying down, turned her head to shift her gaze to the woman who called out to her.

Time seemed to come to a standstill. One heartbeat. Two.

Finally, Marinette’s blank face slowly shifted to a tired, but happy smile.

“Hi Mom.” She turned to look at a teary eyed Tom. “Hi Dad.” Then she turned to look at Adrien, visibly shaking in his spot. “Hi Alley Cat.”

Everyone cried in joy instead of the despair they had been feeling for the past couple months. They enveloped their beloved girl with tight embraces and countless kisses were peppered on her face.

It would take another couple days for the doctors to clear Marinette to return home. It would take another week for them to allow Marinette to return to school, deeming her healthy enough for her routine, although they advised her to steer clear of her Ladybug duties until she felt up to it.

When she first got ready for school, she didn’t know what to expect. Whether they were going to blame her for Leto’s attack or they were going to treat her as usual, she didn’t know. But when Adrien arrived at the bakery without his limo with ruffled hair and shortness of breath, having run all the way from his home to see her, Marinette’s heart nearly stopped.

The bright green eyes that were always so lively now looked at her with pure relief and guilt. His smile was shaky, and then it crumbled as he bit his bottom lip until it bled. In a split second, the hands that were wrangling his bag strap moved to wrap themselves tightly around Marinette’s form.

“I’m sorry…” Adrien whispered in a broken voice. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Slowly, Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien’s quivering shoulders.

Nothing was going to be fixed overnight. It would take a while for the wounds to heal and it would be a while for resolutions to be found. Hawkmoth was still out there and there were surely going to be more victims to save. But for now that was okay. Taking one step at a time together, maybe that was all they needed.

As long as they were together.


End file.
